Second Chances
by rogue-scholar07
Summary: Set in Red Witch's Misfitverse, but before the Misfits were formed. Coping for teenaged terrorists and the handlers that have to put up with them. Updated daily...ish. RR! Suggestions needed badly! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Let's see, Since I don't own GI Joe, that means that I don't own Cobra either. Atlantis, Chaos, Golem, and Vampira are mine, Thunderbird and Lady Mastermind are Marvel's. Think I have everyone covered now. Okay, this is going to be 15 chapters at most, so it shouldn't be too much torture. Base Summery, Cobra needs some new recruits, which sends Destro and Zartan into a low-grade war, and a job offer for a struggling PI team may be either the best or worst thing for their careers. NEED INPUT!**

**Second Chances**

Chapter One: **Another Productive Office Meeting**

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Cobra Commander stood in front of several of his best agents, hoping that someone would come up with some kind of solution to Cobra's current problem. "We simply need some stronger forces than the BATS and the troops!" he shook his head. "The Joes will have us if we don't!"

"You mean like the genetically engineered things Mindbender whips up?" Major Bludd, one of the toughest agents asked cynically. '_If that's his great plan, we can kiss our paychecks goodbye._' He thought.

"They never work!" The Baroness shouted. "We need more powerful weapons!"

"And how will we get the components?" Zartan, master of disguise and martial arts expert, asked. "The Dreadnoks are already overloaded with other jobs, there's no way we could just hit up those kinds of places while we're 'in the neighborhood'!"

"I'm not a petty thief!" Baroness sneered.

"And I look like Houdini?" Zartan asked. "Give it up! It's just not a practical solution!"

"At lest I had one!" She shouted.

"I personally feel that we need stronger secondary leaders." Destro said. "What we need is tougher staff!"

"I like it." Cobra Commander sneered under his metal- plated mask. "Why don't we go "looking" for more competent agents?"

"And by "We" you mean who?" Dr. Mindbender, mad scientist and master of genetic manipulation asked.

"Destro, Baroness, and Zartan." Cobra Commander replied. "I want you three to look through the personnel files or look for new recruits, whichever works, and find some able- bodied individuals who can think on their feet!"

"That may be quite a stretch." Bludd snickered.

"Is there any age restriction on this assignment?" Zartan asked.

"No, get creative." Cobra Commander said.

"Just don't bring back more ninjas." Destro remarked.

"Well, maybe if you could keep away from her you could accomplish something!" Zartan returned.

"Just go!" Cobra Commander yelled. Destro and Zartan glared at each other, and then left in separate directions.

"This will be very interesting." Mindbender smirked. "I wonder how long it will take before someone succeeds?"

"Who cares?" Bludd snarled. "As long as we find someone who can beat the Joes, I don't care!"

"Be careful what you wish for." Mindbender replied. "I have a feeling you will be eating those words later on."

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

**(Somewhere in DC…)**

"You're all fired!" Nick Fury, one of SHIELD's top agents and head of the Mutant Control division roared. He stared vehemently at the group of six former hired agents in front of him.

"We found the culprit!" the leader, a young teenaged girl with blond with black striped hair and blue on yellow eyes, shouted back. "What more did you want?"

"I wanted you to follow orders when on the field!" Fury growled.

"So we thought outside the box? Big deal!" A tall lanky lad with highlighted brown hair and green eyes retorted.

"You promised us our payment," A girl with blond hair and green eyes snarled, "we expect what is owed us for your services this month."

"Here!" Fury handed them a wad of twenties. "Now leave before I call security!"

"Don't waste your breath!" Their leader spoke up again, her voice dripping with contempt. "We know the way out!" She spun on her heels and walked out the door, the rest of her team following close behind.

"I can't believe the nerve of that guy!" the tall boy shouted. "Just because we screw up once and blow up a warehouse doesn't mean we suck!"

"No, Chaos, it just means that you have a lousy aim with a plasma rifle." A girl with black hair and eyes so light blue that they were almost white quipped.

"Don't blame him, Vampira." The leader sighed. "It's as much my fault as his."

"Don't say that, Ann." Chaos said. "You did great trying to keep it together back there!"

"And you told Fury off." Vampira said.

"Actually, that was Regan." A slightly shorter teenaged boy with dark tan skin, black hair and deep brown eyes corrected. "But still, you're one of the greatest women I've met!"

"That still doesn't change the fact that we're out of a job." "Ann" said as the group exited the SHIELD HQ building and walked to their respective bikes.

"She's right." Regan, the other blond, said. "We need to find work fast, even if it's on the janitorial staff somewhere."

"And we still need to get you a codename." The final member, a heavy-set boy with shaggy brown hair and gray eyes, said off- handedly.

"Mitch is right." Chaos said. "If you keep going by your real name, someone's bound to catch on and we'll be in a world of trouble."

"What kind of codename?" Regan asked.

"You're the telepath." Ann smirked, hopping onto the blue and pink bicycle next to her and fastening her helmet. "You can figure it out."

"I create illusions and alter memories." Regan corrected. "My telepathy is at best moot."

"Still girl, you've gotta come up with something!" The Indian teen replied.

"Says the Thunderbird." Vampira quipped.

"It fits!" Thunderbird shot back. "We don't have very many cars in India, I did not know it was one over here!"

"What about your family history?" Mitch asked.

"Why?" Regan asked.

"Because it can help." Chaos said. "In our, Mitch and me's, family, everyone exceeds in causing trouble—hence my name—and are really large."

"Which is why their older brother Freddy calls himself 'The Blob'." Ann said. "And we all know why Mitch is called Golem."

"That doesn't really help." Regan sighed. "My father was a mutant with similar powers, that much I know, but he ran off before I was born and probably doesn't know I exist."

"Or you can use a nickname." Vampira offered. "My alter-ego gave me my codename."

"Thanks, Kris, but I don't really have any nicknames." Regan said.

"Do you know if your father had a codename?" Ann asked.

"Mastermind." Regan said. "But how does that help?"

"You can adapt it to fit you, since you have his powers." Ann suggested. "I have a whole butt load of mutants in my family because my parents are mutants, but none of my siblings got powers exactly like Mom or Dad's. I've heard of other mutants taking a parent's codename or one similar to it, though. "

"I like the codename itself," Regan said, "But I'm a girl, and he's still alive."

"Then how about Lady Mastermind?" Kristen offered.

"Lady Mastermind…" Regan said, as if tasting the name. "I think I like it."

"Then you are now well equipped to battle our fierce opponents and keep your identity a secret." Chaos snickered.

"Take this, Beau." Regan's eyes glowed blue and Chaos started screaming about devil Rabbits. (1 & 2)

"Good one." Thunderbird snickered.

"Ask me one more time, Neal, and I will ensure that you will suffer a slow and painful mental decent from sanity." Regan growled.

"Can you let Ry go now?" Ann asked.

Regan pouted, but did as she was asked. "I did not appreciate that!" Ry grumbled.

"Can we just go?" Kris asked.

"Yes, I suppose so." Regan said. Ann took off down the sidewalk and the other five fell in a line behind her.

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1. Since Mitch and Ry's last name is Dukes, they get called Beau and Luke a lot.

2. Shameless bit from _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_.

**Okay, let me know what you think I should improve on or what you want to see; but no flames, please**.


	2. Chapter 2

Official Disclaimer: Atlantis, Chaos, Golem, and Vampira are mine; everyone else is not mine and are only used for pleasure.

**Hmm. Let's see how well the recruiting regime is going.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter two:** Let's Make a Deal**

It had been a week or so since Cobra Commander had given his orders for more recruits. Destro and the Baroness had combined efforts and produced a group of seven of the toughest generals Cobra had. Zartan, however, had a different approach.

"You put an add in the paper?" Zarana blinked. "Have you lost it?"

"What gave you the idea for this?" Zandar exclaimed. "We're looking for top terrorists, not kids."

"We will find them." Zartan replied. "We just need to interview them."

"It sounds stupid." Monkeywrench said.

"Coming from you, that's bad." Zarana quipped.

"Where were you planning on holding these interviews?" Zandar asked.

"There's an abandoned warehouse on Baker Street." Zartan said. "It will be useful for the purpose."

"Okay, you're going to hold a job fair for aspiring mercenaries in an abandoned warehouse." Monkeywrench said. "And who's watching who?"

"I'll go too." Zarana sighed. "If we find someone, they'll have to come back here. If they come back here, we need to be sure that they are able to stay sane and not tear down the house."

"Isn't it already wrecked?" Monkeywrench asked.

"Yes, but we don't need outside help." Zandar quipped.

"All right, you can come," Zartan sighed, "Just don't get too weary after we've been through them all."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day, Zartan and Zarana were sitting behind a table, and were listening to the candidates ramble on. They were currently on number thirteen, and he wasn't doing so great.

"I am an expert in the field of harpoons." A man with dark brown hair and eyes said confidently.

"We'll call you." Zarana snipped as she dropped the resume. The man walked out, and she let out an exasperated sigh. "So this makes a team of showgirls, two ex acrobats from the Russian Mafia, three separate rednecks with bad BO, a chef, an old man who's deaf and blind, and five starting quarterbacks from local high schools."

"We only have one team left." Zartan said. "Come in!"

A group of six young teens walked into the room. There was a boy with clay colored rocks for skin who had brown hair and gray eyes; a girl who looked like a vampire with black hair; another brown haired boy, but taller and a lot skinnier; a girl with blond hair and green eyes; a boy with dark tanish red skin, black hair, and brown eyes; and a girl with blond and black striped hair that wore a mask, but still showed her blue on yellow eyes. All of them were in uniform. From red or blue body suits, in the case of the taller boys, pants for the rock, jumpsuits for the Vamp and the older blond, and a two piece outfit with a black jacket for the two-toned masked girl. They had done this before; and Zartan knew exactly where.

"Ah, you are Shadowatch, correct?" he asked.

"Yes." The masked one said. "I'm Atlantis. This is Vampira, Chaos, Golem, Lady Mastermind, and Thunderbird."

"Pleasure, Atlantis." Zarana smiled. "Do you have a resume?"

"Here." Thunderbird handed over a manila file folder.

"But that's not what we came for." Atlantis said.

"Right to business." Zartan smirked. "Good. I like to see that in younger agents. I have a deal to offer you."

"Just tell me now so I won't kill you." Atlantis snarled.

"Cobra Commander is looking for new generals." Zarana said. "Now, Destro and the Baroness are in on this too, and they're trying to outdo us, but there's an upside for you kids."

"Even if you don't make general status, I will see to it that you are still well paid and kept active." Zartan said.

"What kind of work is this General stuff?" Chaos asked.

"Lead strikes against the Joes and SHIELD, as well as other agencies; training new recruits, and getting to fire some of the newest weapons on the market." Zarana said.

"What about pay?" Atlantis asked. "I don't work cheap."

"If you make Generals, about $15 thousand a month each." Zartan said. "Less if you don't, but there will be more interesting assignments than the Generals get."

"We need to discuss this." Atlantis said, just as Chaos was about to speak. The group walked off to confer.

"Do you think they'll come?" Zarana asked.

"Yes." Zartan said, taking another look at the folder. "Their age and history with the government means that nobody there will take them, and they're too unpredictable to start overseas or as spies. This is their last shot."

"This could be fun." Vampira shrugged.

"But they're terrorists!" Thunderbird whispered.

"What choice do we have?" Lady Mastermind hissed. "We can't go back to Fury, and you know what they'd do to us in the army!"

"What about that place for training spies?" Golem asked. "I really think it's cool."

"No." Atlantis shook her head. "My mother told me not to go there ever. They don't pay as much and their agents are snotwads. I'm not going to go against her now."

"She's right." Vampira said. "Raven may be a little manipulative, but she wouldn't put us into danger."

"So, do we take this guy's offer?" Chaos asked.

"I'm in." Vampira said.

"Beats flippin' burgers." Golem shrugged.

"I'll do it if you will." Lady Mastermind nodded.

"Thunderbird." Atlantis said. "I need a vote from you."

"Fine." Thunderbird said, after a pause. "You're right, there's no where else to go."

"Then let's tell them that." Atlantis smirked. She turned around and walked back to the table. "We'll take the job."

"I thought as much." Zartan sneered.

"What about housing?" Thunderbird asked.

"You'll live on base with us." Zarana said. "Be there in two days to secure your position."

"Will do." Atlantis smirked. "But we won't need that long." The group exchanged glances and walked back out of the building.

"It looks like we've found some worth while recruits after all." Zarana said after the group left.

"Didn't I say that this would work?" Zartan asked.

"Yes, brother, but you've said that about lots of things that have blown up in our faces." Zarana said. "And what about Zanya? How will she take having some upstarts on base?"

"She'll just have to accept that she's not superior simply because of her bringing up." Zartan said. "Especially with this bunch."

"Isn't this guy a mutant?"

"And a mercenary know for ripping things apart. If he's on the list…"

"He's somebody's parent." She said. "I get it. When they go in for the Physical, I'll have Mindbender run a DNA analysis on them."

"Good thinking." Zartan said. "I want to know just who it is we're dealing with here. Atlantis left to much of this vague to be an amateur. She knows an old pro or two in this game, and we need to find out who."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Whoooo Hoooooo!" Chaos flew up into the air and started doing loops.

"We actually got a job." Golem said. "A permanent job with room and pay!"

"Working for a terrorist organization." Thunderbird said. "Why does that make me a little worried."

"You'll just have to deal with it." Lady Mastermind shrugged.

"Why are you so down with this?" Thunderbird asked.

"My real father has bent the law a whole bunch." Lady Mastermind replied.

"And my parents practically wrote the book on how to kill people and get into government buildings." Atlantis waved.

"And half of our family's got warrants out for their arrest;" Chaos put in "even Gram- Gram's in the slammer with no parroll."

"I just want to keep the inner vampire in check." Vampira said. "Terrorism has no restrictions."

"I guess if you all want to, I'll go." Thunderbird said. "One shot, that's it!"

"That's all I ask." Atlantis replied. "One shot is all we have to prove that we're capeable of making this work."

**Okay, if there is anything that I can improve upon, let me know and I'll get to work on it! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, let's see who's out there…**

**Red Witch:**_ I'm glad you like the story so far! Like I said in the reply, if you have any ideas, let me know and I'll be sure to put it down on paper._

**And in today's selection, we get a pretty good idea about the new teams' personalities. R & R.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Three: **Moving In Day**

"Are you sure that we shouldn't have gone to pick them up?" Zandar asked. "They're a group of fourteen year olds for Christ's sake!"

"And which one of you would have put up with them?" Zartan asked. "We just have to wait and see how creative this group really is."

As if on cue, three pickup trucks pulled up in front of the base. The six kids piled out and the boys jumped into the back and started unloading stuff out of the bed.

"Thanks, Ralph!" Atlantis said as she hopped out and climbed in back with Chaos.

"Don't mention it, Tuff." A fat man wearing a dress called from the cab.

"Apparently, they're very co-coordinated." Zartan said. "Isn't that one of the Dukes clan?"

"I think so." Zarana said as she walked out the front door. "How do they know them."

"Thanks, Aunt Ralph!" Chaos shouted after the group had the trucks unloaded.

"See ya later, Stringy!" Aunt Ralph yelled as the truck brigade drove off.

"That would be our answer." Zandar sighed. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

"We'll know in a minute." Zarana said. "With their records, it could be anything."

"Look, they threw us a coming home party." Atlantis quipped as she grabbed her bags and walked straight up to the three adults.

"Now is not the time for jokes." Thunderbird frowned.

"Quit being such a stick in the mud!" Vampira replied. "You need to lighten up!"

"Says the Goth with the big hat." Thunderbird retorted.

"Knock it off!" Atlantis snarled.

"I take it you want to know where you will be staying?" Zartan asked.

"Yes, that would help." Lady Mastermind quipped.

"Has anyone seen the other blade to my…" BOOM "Never mind!" someone shouted inside.

"Sounds like Buzzer's lost his stuff again." Zandar quipped.

"Why don't we go inside." Zartan said.

"Fine." Atlantis said. "Lead on."

Zartan turned around and the group walked inside of the building. The first room past the entry had a few chairs and a couch in it. On that couch, there were two bikers on a very heated debate.

"No way! Pamela Anderson is sexier!" Monkeywrench said.

"No, Jolt!" Road Pig shouted.

"Not this again!" Zandar groaned. "This is the third time this week."

"Stupid really." Vampira said. "Fighting over women."

"Don't get them started!" Atlantis warned. "I made that mistake with my brother and his friend and I had to put up with it for a month."

"Which brother?" Golem asked.

"Dan." Atlantis replied. "But that's not the point. Where are our rooms?"

"Upstairs." Zartan replied. "There are two rooms."

"Three to each?" Bryan asked.

"Not exactly." Zartan said. "The boys will all share a room together, and two of you girls get the other room."

"And what about the oddball?" Thunderbird asked.

"Kris gets the couch." Golem said.

"I don't want the couch!" Kristen said. "I can't sleep there during the day; there's too much sun through the flippin' window!"

"Why can't Neal take the couch?" Lady Mastermind asked.

"Why do I have to have the couch?" Neal asked.

"Nobody has to sleep on the couch." Zartan said. "There's an extra bed in Zanya's room that one of you girls can use."

"Who's she?" Neal asked.

"She's his kid." Monkeywrench pointed at Zartan. "And she's not going to like this."

"She'll have to learn to like it." Zarana said.

"Not if they keep this up." Zandar said.

"I am not taking the couch!" Neal shouted.

"Then who is?" Golem asked.

"Nobody!" Andrea shouted.

"Then who's gonna room with the drama queen?" Vampira asked.

"This oughta be good." Chaos snickered to his brother.

"I'm not going to get yelled at for dream dropping again." Lady Mastermind protested.

"I won't get lectured on my night- life either!" Kristen said.

"You do it!"

"No, You!"

"For the love of Mike, I'll take the damned spare bed!" Andi shouted over the noise. "Since **none** of you guys can act like decent, somewhat mature beings, I'll take the roommate!"

"Andi…"

"No buts, Ry! I've made up mah mind!" Andi shouted. "Where's the bed?"

"Upstairs, second room on the left." Zartan said. Andi nodded and stomped up the stairs.

"That went well." Ry quipped. "We only got her ticked off for the rest of the day with that fight."

"It wasn't a fight." Kris said. "More like a disagreement."

"One with lots of shouting." Mitch commented.

"Anyway," Zartan said, "your rooms are upstairs as well. Boys are on the first door to the right, you ladies are next to Zanya and Atlantis' room."

"Thank you." Regan said as she grabbed her stuff and walked up to claim a bed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

About an hour or so later, Andi had come back down and taken over a small portion of the driveway for her latest project; her bike. By some act of cosmic luck, she'd found an old motorcycle at the dump in her hometown; the only problem was that it refused to run and she'd had to hijack an old lawn mower engine to drive it out. There had been a very good reason that it only cost twenty dollars, the work made up for it. At present, the jacked engine worked fine, but the brakes needed replacing, as did the oil.

"Come on, you piece of rubbish!" she said to herself as she wrestled with a borrowed wrench and the bolt on the handle. In an instant, the whole front brake wiring and tubing came loose with a pop and fell in a heap on the concrete. "Gee, that was productive." She growled as she started to untangle the brake lines. She'd already replaced the pads, but the assembly was messed up at some point between pressure lever and pads, making the new brakes useless. Andi continued grumbling and shooting off random curses until she heard someone ride into the drive on a bike. She poked her head up to see a girl about her age with green hair jump off of her bike and look right at her.

"Can I help you?" Andi asked as she pulled out one of the tubes. "Oh shit."

"Why are you in my driveway?" The strange girl asked.

"I live here now." Andi said. "Now if I could just…"

"Who gave you permission to invade my house?"

"Are you Zanya?" Andi snipped.

"Yes." Zanya answered back.

"Then you should know I'm on the team that your dad signed on yesterday." Andi replied. "I take it he didn't tell you about it?"

"No." Zanya said. "But I'll let you live as long as you stay out of my stuff."

"That could be the problem right there…" Andi mumbled off handedly at the newly straightened wire.

"How so?" Zanya asked.

"It's going to be hard for me to stay out of your room if I'm sleeping in there as well." Andi said.

"Who told you that you could do that?" Zanya yelled. Andi looked up with contempt, then stood up to her full height. One thing decided by this was that while Zanya had been there longer, Andi was at least three inches taller.

"Look, sister, I took this job because we needed it. Room and board were in the descript; so if you have a problem, go talk to your father about it." Andi hissed, staring down at her challenger. "I have to get this brake job finished by tonight, so if you'll just move on, we won't have to see each other for the rest of the evening. Got it?"

"You're not my boss!" Zanya growled.

"No, but your boss is the one who's payin' me." Andi smirked. "If you're done blowing steam off, I've got to get back to work."

"This isn't over, Dixie." Zanya sneered as she walked towards the base.

"Didn't think it was." Andi called back. A door slamming in the background indicated that the other girl had left earshot. "Yeah, Ann, why not get yourself fired the first day!" She put her hand to her head as a big brownish gray puppy walked over to her. "You think we can keep this one, Raid?"

Laredo whimpered and set his head down on her knee. His big brown eyes looked sadly up, giving the impression that he felt like she needed to think something over more. "I guess we can wait and see if we get kicked out into the garage before we jump to anything." She sighed. The wolf pup whined and licked her face. Laredo had been a gift from her older brother, Connor, back in Montana. His dog had had pups, and they needed a home. Andi had grown fond of Raid, but had to leave with her mom for New York so she could start school again. But, Con gave her Laredo as a going away present, and he'd slept at her feet since then.

"Well, boy, you know what to do about this snapped line?"

He whimpered, then bit the broken line and ran off to the back with it. "Thanks a lot." She quipped as she got up from her work and went to put the bike in the garage.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

"I so had this won!"

"No, you just don't wanna admit defeat!"

"Yo feet smell horrible! Both of you need to take showers!" Regan commented. Bryan and Neal had started an argument over Clue, and it had lasted for five minutes. Every time one of them would ask a question, it would start up again. By this point, Regan and Mitch, both of which had been playing, had given up in favor or the fight.

"Who was it anyway?" Mitch asked.

"Colonel Mustard in the library with the pipe." Regan whispered. "Just don't tell them."

"Gotcha." Mitch said as Zanya burst through the front door and stormed into the great room.

"Wow, they weren't just making her up." Regan quipped.

"Where are the adults?" Zanya shouted.

"No need to be so touchy about it." Mitch put his hands up in defense. "The bikers went to terrorize somebody, but the others are in the kitchen talking about something."

"Thank you." Zanya hissed as she walked through.

"Oh, and don't go upstairs anytime in the next four hours expecting any signs of life out of Kris." Regan said. "She sleeps like the dead."

"No, it was the revolver!" Bryan argued.

"Knife!" Neal countered.

"Revolver!"

"Knife!"

"REVOLVER!

"KNOCK IT OF OR YOU'LL BOTH BE REVOLVING AROUND THE ROOM!" Regan shouted over the boys noise.

"You're just almost as cranky as Andi is." Neal said.

"Or that Zanya chick that just came through." Bryan said. "You think they met?"

"Judging by the muffled shouting, yes." Mitch quipped.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Well, aside from the Clueless squad, it's been almost quiet." Zarana said. She and her brothers were in the kitchen having a discussion about the kids, who'd scattered throughout the house at this point. "I haven't heard a peep out of Vampira since she went to her room, and Creed's been out working on something. It's like they don't want to disturb us."

"No doubt taught to do so." Zartan said. "This should be somewhat of a challenge."

"How so?" Zandar asked. "All we really have to do is make Zanya and Atlantis get along before they get sent in for evaluation, right?"

"No, but that's part of it." Zartan said. "I'm talking about their strategic ideas."

"So?" Zandar asked. "They're kinda wild at first, but nothing special."

"Exactly." Zartan said.

"I see." Zarana replied. "They've been only turning in so far what they thought fit the format. Same for behavior."

"Not with all of them." Zartan shook his head. "I just got their academic records; okay, most records. Wynguarde and Sharra don't have any in this country."

"They trouble?" Zandar asked.

"More like overly creative." Zartan said. "The boys have a lot of fights on record, more so with Chaos that his brother, and the former has several different marks for pranks."

"Sounds normal enough." Zarana said. "But what about the two other girls?"

"Vampira's got some fights and reprimands, but most of her problem is her absence from the class." Zartan said. "With Atlantis, however, things get interesting. At least three dozen fights, several counts for language and disorderly conduct; something about a catapult for a science fair in the fourth grade."

"Let me guess, lots of different pranks and expulsions?" Zandar asked.

"Seven school expulsions and one transfer, after she got her name changed and custody was afforded to her birthparents, whose names are left anonymous." Zartan said. "All of these red flags suggest someone of intelligence and creativity, but also one with a short attention span."

"If she's so creative, how come we haven't seen any evidence yet?" Zandar asked.

"We have." Zarana said. "Every time they try to use one of their ideas, they screwed up part of the job and got canned. You see the report on the job they worked for Fury that Burke took over?"

"They shot at him." Zartan read. "And missed and hit the gas tank, hence destroying the entire building."

"So they don't do what will work more efficiently unless they know they're allowed to and won't be yelled at?" Zandar asked. "Okay, I see it. But how do we re- train them to accept their unusual, crazy, risky tactics that have earned them the record?"

"How dare you send some strangers to live here without telling me?" Zanya shouted as she walked in.

"We have them fight you." Zarana snickered.

"It wasn't anything that concerned you at the time." Zartan said firmly. "You've been getting too cocky about training; it was time you had someone to bring you down."

"You mean Godzilla in the driveway?" Zanya asked. "What kind of competition is that?"

"would you've rather had the telepath or the vampire instead?" Zartan asked. "Because that can be arranged too."

"It's not fair!" Zanya said. "She's some kind of backwoods weirdo!"

"What have I told you about how you view others?" Zartan asked.

"I don't care how good a light she's seen in, she's still weird!" Zanya protested.

"And you're still sharing a room with her." Zartan said. "This attitude of yours has to stop. I think once you two actually get to know each other, you'll find a lot more similarities than you think."

"Whatever!" Was all Zanya managed to spit out before leaving in a huff.

"Are you sure they'll actually get along?" Zarana asked.

"They either learn to put up with each other or rip each other to pieces." Zartan said. "Either way, it will be a lesson learned by at least one of them."

"You think Atlantis can really beat her don't you?" Zandar asked.

"With practice, yes." Zartan said. "Who knows, maybe someday that team could be a match for Auntie's spies or Hydra's soldiers? All we need to find out is a lot of time and much more effort."

"And maybe a bit more funding." Zandar replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**I think we all know the drill by now, so let's see who's been reading.**

**Red Witch:**_ Zanya getting her butt whooped in a training session? Sounds like fun! Let's run with it!_

**Okay, now it's time for Shadowatch's first Cobra training session. How do you think they work together?**

**Second Chances**

Chapter four: **It's On**

"Hello." Andi said as she saw her roommate stir under the mound of blankets.

"Go screw something." Zanya mumbled from under the covers.

"Good Morning to you too." Andi quipped as she pulled her shoulder length hair back into a ponytail. "If you want breakfast go get it yourself. I'm not a maid."

"You've already eaten? How long have you been awake?" Zanya asked, glancing at the alarm clock that flashed six- thirty a.m.

"Since about four thirty." Andi shrugged. "I don't need much sleep, and this whole lights out at ten thingis messing me up."

"How can you be so damn perky?" Zanya groaned.

"Just am." Andi answered. "Now you'd better get your butt moving or your father's going to come drag you out as he's been threatening for the past half- hour."

"F-you." Zanya spat as she crawled out of bed.

Some two hours later, the seven teens were on another Cobra base, in the workout room, listening to the parameters of the day's exercise.

"You are to retrieve the flag from the platform on the other side of the base, while guarding your own." Zartan explained.

"Like Capture the Flag." Bryan commented.

"Exactly." Zartan replied.

"Are we competing against robots?" Andi asked.

"No." Zartan answered. "You will be facing your competition."

"Why am I with them?" Zanya asked.

"Because Destro and Baroness managed to get seven, and there are only six of them." Zartan said. "Besides, you need more experience working with a team. Your last report was horrible!"

"Fine! I get it!" Zanya said.

"How old are these other seven?" Neal asked.

"Adults." Zartan answered.

"Great." Neal quipped.

"Never mind age!" Atlantis shouted. "Golem, guard the flag in the bunker."

"On it." Golem said.

"Vampira, Chaos, you two hit them high. Lady M and T-bird, take the left side."

"What about me?" Zanya asked.

"You and I will take the right." Atlantis said. "That all right with you?"

"Fine." Zanya nodded. "Ready?"

"Bring it on!" Chaos whooped.

"That's a yes." Vampira quipped.

"Let's Go." Atlantis smirked. "Stations ready!"

"That is your great team?" Destro laughed. "They're all children!"

"You've lost your nerve." The Baroness scoffed. "I can see why Zanya would be there, but these other six, what makes you so sure of their talents?"

"I do my homework." Zartan said. "They can pull this off, just watch."

Meanwhile on the floor, the teams were getting a good view of each other.

"They've got to be at least college juniors." Chaos yelled to Vampira as they dodged laser fie from the air.

"No joke!" Vampira said as she flew behind one trooper and kicked him in the back of the head. "But they sure have rocks for brains!"

"Ann! How's your stat?" Chaos shouted through the communicator.

"This is insane!" Neal shouted as he sent a plasma bolt at one guy.

"We need to get closer!" Andi said. "Lady, you got any tricks?"

"I'm trying." Regan exclaimed. "They're wearing blocker helmets! I can't do anything!"

"Neal, try to hit their weapons!" Andi shouted. "Maybe we can melt them."

"On it!" Thunderbird shouted as he fired off another blast. However, this one missed both troops in his line of sight and hit Zanya instead.

Thump!

"Way to go, Birdie!" Vampira quipped. "You just took out your teammate."

"Aaaaahhh!" Lady M yelled as she was hit with fire from the rifles and sent into a wall.

"Lady M's down!" Chaos shouted just in time to hear something hit Kristen and send her down to the ground. "They're gonna have us quick if we don't do something."

"Fine." Andi said. "Ry, go back to the bunker and help Golem! Don't let them steal that flag!"

"On it!" Ry said as he flew back.

"They're retreating." Destro observed. "Looks like the first round will be ours."

"Don't be so sure." Zartan said. "Just wait and see what happens."

"There's no way a group of kids could stand a chance against trained soldiers." Baroness sneered. "They should just bow out while they have a chance."

"They're stronger than you think." Zartan said. "They've had to be."

"We have the twerps now!" One of the older troopers said as he and two more stormed the bunker.

"Guess again!" Chaos said as he flew out and threw the trooper into a wall.

"Rouche's down." Another said. "Get that flag!"

"Not today!" As soon as the two troops landed in the bunker, they were thrown back out by a pair of massive rock hands.

"Mommy." One said as he fell over on the ground.

"That seemed easy." Golem shrugged.

"Let's just hope Ann can handle the other two." Chaos sighed. "They just shot Thunderbird down."

"Is anyone getting back up?" Golem asked.

"Zanya's trying." Chaos said. "And one of the losers is rushing her."

"Do we go?" Golem asked.

"Not till she gives the signal." Bryan said. "Not until she gives the signal."

Farther up field, Andi was playing dodge ball with only female trooper on the other team.

"Give it up, kiddo." The woman chided. "You're out of your league!"

"Never." Atlantis hissed as the com link came on.

"Atlantis, you have to take out agent Todd!" Zanya's voice crackled over the speaker. It was obvious that she was just trying to avoid being hit.

"Are you okay?" Atlantis asked. "That plasma bolt hit you hard."

"So did the wall." Ry quipped.

"Oh, but out, Beau!" Atlantis teased.

"I'll be fine!" Zanya said. "Just take out Todd."

"On it!" Andi said as she clicked the off button. She crawled out from behind the wall she'd been using as a shield and smirked. "Hey, Agent Todd!"

"What?" The older lady asked, pointing her gun at the younger girl and shooting.

Andi skillfully flipped and spun out of the way. "You mean besides your bad aim?" Andi asked. Todd fired again, and Andi again easily dodged the single shots, each spin leading her closer and closer to her target. "How many shots do you have left?"

Todd ignored her, and tried to fire again, only to find that the gun only made clicking noises now.

"Perfect." Andi grinned. She did two flips towards the older agent and then went straight into a spin. Todd tried to go down, but she'd waited to late to decide on movement. Andi kicked her in the head and sent her down on her knees.

"You'll pay for this, you…" Todd trailed off as she noticed Zanya kick her crony to the ground. Zanya and Andi exchanged glances, and Chaos stuck his fist up in the air with two fingers out.

'_That's my cue.'_ Andi thought. _'Time to show them what I'm really made of.'_ She'd shed her jacket before the session started, so that she wouldn't be weighed down. Now, there was another reason to be without it. Andi closed her eyes and released control of her powers.

"What is she doing?" Baroness asked as she watched Andi stop in place as Todd got up and Zanya advance to the pair.

"What she's best at." Zartan grinned. "Getting the best of your agent with an unconventional tactic."

"She's turning blue?" Destro glared. "Why didn't you tell me you had a shape shifter?"

"I didn't know." Zartan replied. "Not that she could do this, but given her listed abilities, it only makes sense."

"You aren't worried that she will be outed?" Baroness asked.

"No." Zartan said. "Not when she was already the bane of society."

True to Destro's inquiry, Atlantis had indeed gone blue. Her skin turned into scales, the main portion of which were a rich shade of indigo- sapphire. Only the sides of her neck, arms, legs, and body, as well as the hairline, were a shaded lighter, much lighter. Those areas nearly were the same color as ice.

Color wasn't the only difference. Her hands and feet – though no one could see the later—were webbed fins, and two large fins took residence on her arms just above the wrist. These were shaped like scythes and were sharp as a razor. That was part of the reason why she kept control of her ability as long as she could. Becoming herself meant ripping up whatever jacket or long-sleeved shirt she was wearing. Her other reason was that most humans, and even some mutants, were quite afraid to face her as "herself." Atlantis wasn't well liked as a human, and she certainly wasn't popular as a fish- creature.

"What the hell are you?" Agent Todd asked. "Some kind of freak?"

"And that's a bad thing?" Todd turned around, but saw nobody. Zanya's voice had been heard by all, but no one could see where she had gone. Todd turned back to see what Atlantis was staring for, when she was punched out. "Right here, dork." Zanya said as she reappeared.

"Stop right there!" Both girls turned around and saw one of the male agents up and moving with Todd's discarded gun.

"Give it up." Zanya waved. "We all know the mag's empty."

"Maybe. But it is still a weapon." The man replied. "Now where was I?"

"The part where we take you out." Atlantis said. She ran straight at him and jumped into the air. By the time the older man knew what was going on, he was being kicked down. He landed with a thud and staggered up in time to see the same girl coming at him again. This time, she spun in the air and kicked him twice in the jaw, before landing, ducking down, and kicking him behind the knees. As soon as the agent fell, Zanya jumped him and held his neck down with her right shoe.

Somewhere during the confusion, one of the agents guarding the flag had come out to see what was happening. Upon realizing that Todd was out cold, the other conscious agent was pinned to the ground, and that the attackers seemingly had their backs turned, he charged and tried to grab Zanya. If Atlantis hadn't seen him running, he might have done it. Instead, his arm was slashed and he was thrown down by a girl half his weight and two inches taller.

"Game over." Andi said as she looked down at the masked man.

"Round one goes to us." Chaos said as he landed in the bunker and flew back out with the enemy flag.

"Just the first round." The short one scoffed. "This was just a fluke!"

"We'll be the judges of that." Andi said. "All right, let's move out."

**Like it? Hate it? Think it needs something more? Tell me what you want to see, and I'll be sure to work it in. I'm here to please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay. We know who's mine and who's not, so let's get to the reviews.**

**Red Witch:**_ Getting good, huh? Glad I'm doing a good job._

**All right, now for a look at how the grown ups are dealing with the first session, and how well the kids react to the Medical Lab. **

**Second Chances**

Chapter five: **Reaction Time **

I can't believe we were defeated by a group of school children!" The Baroness grumbled as she, Destro, and Zartan walked out of the watchtower.

"I told you before, they aren't just mere children." Zartan said. "Not with the record that the team came with."

"Yes, blowing up a warehouse if I'm not mistaken." Destro said. "And shooting at an ally."

"To be fair, Matthew Burke isn't anyone's ally." Zartan said.

"Still, their records have many holes." The Baroness returned. "How do we know they won't just up and quit?"

"Wouldn't you love to know." Zartan smirked. "As soon as Mindbungler's done with the blood work, I'm sure we'll be in for a pleasant surprise."

"What are you up to, Zartan?" Destro glowered. "Why the interest in that particular bunch of mutants?"

"There you are!" Firefly panted as he ran up. "We have a problem!"

"Did Road Pig forget his medication again?" Zartan asked.

"Worse." Firefly said. "Your blond telepath has gone nuts! She's trying to tear apart the lab!"

"What?" Zartan blinked. "Lady Mastermind? She's the sane one!"

"Apparently not." Baroness snickered.

"Shut it!" Zartan shouted as he stormed down the halls.

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(Cobra Med lab, twenty minutes earlier)

"Are they okay?" Andi asked as she looked at her still unconscious teammates. Thunderbird was stirring, but hadn't opened his eyes yet. Kristen's heartbeat was so slow that any other doctor would have told her she was on the verge of death; Mindbender, however, had explained it as being an evolution in her mutation. Her body was fully functional, yet her heart was almost stopped. In a few more days, she would be a true vampire, with no real human traits left. Then, of course, Lady Mastermind was still out of it. She'd been projecting her thoughts, though, so she would soon be awake. The only downside to that was how she would react to being back in a white lab.

"They seem to be recovering well." Mindbender commented as he put the different vials of blood into a machine. He'd already taken some from the boys, and everyone who was still blacked out. "Although, quite frankly, it's you I am worried about."

"Why me?" Atlantis asked with narrowed eyes.

"Your unconscious friends over there have most decidedly had their mutations enhanced or played around with." Mindbender said, turning to face her with a needle. "It's strictly procedure, I just need to make sure that whatever enhancers were in their systems have left yours."

"Like a drug test, only without the whole cup thing." Andi deduced. "Okay, I get it."

"Good." Mindbender smiled. One of the BATS assisting him in the lab took the syringe and stuck the needle into her arm. She winced, but made no move to escape.

At about that moment, Regan opened her eyes to what was in her interpretation, returning to Hell. There was a man in a white lab coat grinning as a robot held a syringe into Andi's arm. '_No! Never again! I can't let this happen again! Why isn't she fighting? Did they find a drug to control her?_' She thought. She bolted up and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"NOOO! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS AGAIN, YOU BASTARDS!"

"Regan?" Andi turned in shock to see her friend advancing towards her, and casting the illusion that she was made of iron. "Regan, what the hell's gotten into you?"

"They've brainwashed you." Regan snarled. "I won't let them do what they did to us over again!"

"Miss Wyngarde, calm down!" Mindbender shouted frantically.

"No!" Regan shouted. "I won't let you hurt us again!" She clawed her way into his mind and sent an stun bolt at him.

"Regan, what are you doing?" Andi asked.

"What's going on?" Bryan asked as he, Mitch, and Zanya ran into the lab.

"Regan's gone nuts!" Andi said. "She's gotten into his mind!"

"Oh no." Zanya gulped.

"I'll get her." Mitch said.

"Don't hurt her!" Andi shouted. "She thinks I've been brainwashed!"

"Damn. She must have hit her head hard." Ry said. "I've never seen any mind control crap work on you."

"Easy, Reg." Andi said. "This is going to hurt you as much as it does me."

"Huh?" Regan blinked as Mitch trapped her in a firm, yet gentle hug. "Let me go!"

"Sorry, Reg." Mitch said. "It's for your own good."

"Regan, calm down." Bryan said. "It will be okay."

"They got to you too, didn't they?" Regan asked.

"Nobody has, Reg." Andi said. "Dammit, girl, when have you ever seen me give into the crap they put me through?"

"Why would we let them?" Ry asked. "Not after how much you girls have been through."

"Regan, look at me!" Andi said firmly. Regan stared at the floor. "I said look at me!" Andi said, raising her voice slightly. This time, Regan complied and in the process, retreated from Mindbender's head.

"God, we need to get new helmets!" Mindbender groaned.

"Regan, listen to me! You don't have to worry." Andi said slowly. "We're not there. We're in the Cobra infirmary; you got knocked out in the training session, and they brought you here to recoup."

"Why?" Regan asked.

"Because we don't leave anyone behind." Bryan said. "You should know this by now, Reg."

"Trust us, Regan." Andi said. "We're nowhere near that bastard or his cronies. It's safe here. Please, relax and power down."

Regan started to sob and the illusion she'd cast before faded away. Mitch let her go and she fell to her knees on the metal floor.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Regan chanted.

"It's okay, Regan." Bryan said as he reached down for her hand. "You were just going on autopilot. It could have happened to anyone."

"I didn't mean…" Regan started.

"Don't sweat it." Mitch waved. "Like Ann said, you're safe here."

"What is this all about?" Zartan asked as he walked in the doors with Firefly and Destro.

"Nothing, now." Andi said. "Regan just spazed out for a bit."

"None of _my_ agents would have been so illogical." Destro scoffed. That was the last straw, Andi snapped and stormed right up to the man in the metal mask.

"You insensitive pea brained egotistical blob of pond scum!" Andi shouted. "How dare you! You have no idea what Regan or any of the rest of us have seen in the past years!"

"Stand down, you little twig!" Destro ordered.

"No, I won't!" Andi screamed defiantly. "Let me make this clear, you aren't my boss, or my master! If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it!"

"Andi…" Mitch started.

"Don't stop her!" Zanya snapped. "This is getting good! He's had it coming for a while."

"I'll break that fiery spirit of yours in time." Destro growled.

"Not likely." Andi hissed. "No one who's tried before has ever broken me."

"We'll see about that." Firefly snickered.

"Who asked you?" Andi spat.

"I don't see how you got in here in the first place." Firefly said. "Even the chefs and mechanics are all older than you! What can you kids do that the grown ups can't?"

Slash!

"Yeaaaaggghhhhhh!" Firefly cried out as Andi slashed him with her nails. Like her father, her nails naturally grew very long and tough. They were also incredibly sharp—as the rest of Shadowatch knew very well—and could very easily draw blood, just like Firefly was finding out at that moment. "I'm bleeding! She's slashed my face!" Firefly shouted.

"That." Bryan quipped.

"Fascinating!" Mindbender exclaimed. "And not even a knick on them!"

"You can examine her claws as soon as I cut them off!" Destro roared.

"Just try!" Andi shouted.

"Like you could get close." Destro retorted.

"You two wouldn't be the first ones to fall." Andi hissed. "There've been at least ten ahead of you."

"Eeep!" Firefly ducked behind Destro.

"Just so you know, cowards are my favorite targets." Andi smirked. Firefly started rattling off something about not wanting to be fish food and whimpering. Just for show, Andi went blue again and showed off her fins. This made Destro back right over Firefly. "Idiots." Andi scoffed.

"I'll show you…" Destro started.

"Can you carry this on outside the lab?" Mindbender asked. "I don't care what you do elsewhere, but don't start a brawl in here!"

"Yeah, you know what a grouch Kris is when she first wakes up." Regan said.

"Kristen's a grouch period." Bryan said.

"That's because she usually sleeps during the day." Andi said. "She's fine at night."

"Bet she's not as much of a bitch as this one." Destro grumbled.

"You wanna make something of it? Go ahead!" Andi smirked. "I love a challenge!"

"Let me try again." Mindbender grumbled. "Leave before you all become my next experiments!"

"What a grump." Mitch said as everyone filed out.

"Those little wanna- bees won't make the cut in the next round, Zartan!" Destro shouted as he walked away. "Those children have no rights to be here!"

"We're terrorists!" Andi shouted back. "Rights don't apply to us!"

Destro continued grumbling threats and curses all the way down the hall, Firefly hot on his heels.

"Creed, next time, don't tick of the big boss's favorite." Zanya said. "Not that I didn't enjoy seeing him squirm, but he might be the one designing the sessions."

"I can't help it." Andi said. "That guy pisses me off. Don't know why, he just does."

"Well, we can discuss this whole thing after the others wake up and we get home." Zartan said. "Why don't you go wait in the cafeteria or something."

"Food…" Ry trailed off and started walking down the hall with his brother. Both of them acting like zombies.

"We'd better hurry up and get seats." Andi sighed.

"Why?" Zanya asked.

"They're the **Dukes** brothers." Andi said. "If we don't beat them there, we won't get any food."

"Or just not anything resembling food." Regan said. "Last time the only thing left was tomato surprise." (1)

"I know a shortcut." Zanya said, taking off down the other hall.

"Good idea." Andi said as she and Regan followed her down the maze of tunnels that led to the cafeteria.

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**1** _Recess_ reference. The tomato surprise could melt through a metal doorknob, so you can imagine what happened to anyone who ate it.

**Okay, this was just written because I got kinda bored and I really need suggestions! If you have any, send them in! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Two chapters in three days. That's an accomplishment! Well, I've decided to stop listing responses, but you'll be mentioned at the end of this bit. Anyway, on with the adventure!**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Six: **Destro Torture!**

"I'm glad you knew that shortcut." Regan said as she, Andi, and Zanya sat down at one of the cafeteria tables with their lunch.

"It's still odd that we beat Ry, though." Andi said. "He's usually not this slow."

"Only in the brain, huh?" Zanya snickered.

"At times." Regan said. "Anyway, who was that man with the metal faceplate?"

"Oh, him!" Zanya waved her fork. "That was Destro. He's always a jerk, but mostly it's because he's next in line for promotion and if anything went wrong and Cobra Commander had to take off, he'd probably be in charge."

"So he's an important spit wad." Andi said in between mouthfuls of salad. "I don't see how come we have to listen to him!"

"But what can we do about it?" Regan asked. "I know for a fact that that helmet has a blocker in it, so I can't do anything."

"Can't do anything about what?" Ry asked as he walked over with a huge tray of food.

"Hey." Andi said. "Just talking about ways to one- up Destro. Where'd Mitch go?"

"He decided half way here to go wait for Neal and Kris to wake up." Bryan said as he started on some beans. "So what's the plan?"

"There is none." Zanya said. "There's not a whole lot of pranks that haven't been pulled on him yet."

"Those are just the standard ones though." Bryan grinned. "Andi comes up with originals."

"Kristen's are much better than mine." Andi said.

"Kristen never made a catapult that threw flour all over the principal back in third grade." Bryan said.

"Or set fire to that one SHIELD agent's underwear." Regan snickered.

"Hey, Neal helped!" Andi protested.

"But you came up with it." Bryan said.

"But the Dreadnoks have already tried athlete's powder and gasoline in his underpants." Zanya said.

"Good thing I never use the same prank twice." Andi said as Mitch, Kristen, and Neal walked up and sat down.

"Who are we getting this time?" Kristen asked.

"The second in command of this joint." Bryan said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"So, who has the ideas?" Mitch asked.

"What does he not like?" Kristen asked.

"Country music and us." Zanya said. "It's a pretty short list."

"Why not take a different approach." Andi said.

"What are you up to?" Neal asked.

"Has everyone seen 'The Santa Clause'?" Andi asked.

"Yes…" Regan said.

"You remember that scene where the elves broke Santa out of jail?" Andi asked.

"You want us to tie him up with wrapping paper?" Neal asked.

"I get it." Kristen said. "Instead of wrapping paper and tinsel, we use something a lot stiffer."

"Hey, you remember that time we rigged the school p.a. to play the Barney theme song?" Bryan asked.

"Where was I?" Mitch asked.

"We didn't know you yet." Andi said. "Yeah, I remember. Got suspended for a week for that stunt."

"And then was expelled a week later for trying to steal our permanent records." Bryan snickered.

"So, you want us to adapt that plan with a different type of music?" Zanya asked.

"Not exactly." Andi said. "Does Destro have a radio in his office?"

"We reset all of his presets and make him a human piñata." Regan grinned. "Brilliant!"

"Can we graffiti his office, too?" Zanya asked.

"Why not?" Bryan said. "I think this will work."

"Great." Andi said. "After lunch, we'll raid the supply closets and see what we turn up."

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"Okay, let's go over the list." Kristen said. "Spray paint?"

"Check." Zanya said. "Snow chains?"

"Don't know why they were in the closet, but check." Neal said. "Who got the duct tape?"

"Here." Bryan and Mitch held up about four different colored rolls of tape. "Keys to his office." Mitch asked.

"Present and accounted for." Andi said. "Okay, let's get started."

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Destro wasn't even paying attention as he opened his office door and walked in. But he was when he sat in his chair. Someone had found a whoopee cushion and stuck it in his chair. That was also when he noticed that his radio was playing Toby Keith. He leaned forward to change the station when he was pounced on from under the desk by two teenagers. And then trapped from behind by two more. "What's going on… Mffffff!" He said as he was gagged.

"It's called payback." Bryan said. "What color should we use first?"

"I just got his arms with the green." Zanya said.

"Let's use it to tie his feet to the chair too." Andi grinned.

"Mmmrrrfff!" Destro wriggled against the restraints.

"Let's do the black on his face." Regan grinned.

"Knock yourself out." Mitch shrugged and handed her the roll. Regan squealed and wrapped the tape around Destro's face about three times before stopping.

"Got any good liquid paint?" Kristen asked.

"Better." Zanya said. "The Baroness's makeup."

"What have we got in here?" Neal asked.

"I think purple is your color." Andi said as she pulled out an eye shadow case and began brushing it all over the metal mask."

"Can lipstick double as war paint?" Mitch asked.

"Hell yeah!" Bryan said. All the teens grabbed a different shade of lipstick and drew all over the mask.

"And don't forget the glitter." Regan smirked evilly as she squirted a large quantity of glitter—she kept it in her pocket—into her palms and rubbed it all over Destro.

"Voila!" Kristen said. "We've made a masterpiece!"

"Mmmmmrrrfff! Rfffmuff!" Destro tried to speak. His face was covered in black duct tape and cosmetics, and the rest of his body was bound in green, black, silver, and brown tape.

"Now we get to hang him from the roof." Andi said. "Ry? Would you do the honors?"

"Gladly." Ry smirked. He grabbed the snow chains and tied them to the bottom of the chair. With ease, he lifted and flipped the chair upside down; and then flew up to hang it from a hook they'd driven into the ceiling earlier.

"And just so you don't get bored in the silence…" Zanya smirked. She turned the volume on the radio up as loud as it would go. "Skynard will keep you company." The group exchanged glances and took off as "Sweet Home Alabama" came on.

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It was about twenty minutes before the Baroness went to see what had become of her lover. "Where are you? We have a meeting in five minutes!"

The sound of country blaring from his office made an obvious clue. She stormed inside and screamed like Chicken Little.

"What's going on?" Firefly asked as he walked in after her. One could note the huge bandage on the right side of his face that covered the scratches he'd received earlier. "Holy Toledo!"

Inside the office looked like a war had erupted. The walls were covered with sayings such as "Death to Metal mouth" or "Long live the South!", there were strands of duct tape on the floor, and the entire contents of the Baroness's makeup bag, and Destro was taped down to his chair with duct tape, painted up with makeup like some primitive tribesman, and gagged with what appeared to be a bandana and three layers of tape, and was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"We have to get him down!" Baroness screeched.

"How?" Firefly asked.

"Go get a ladder!" Baroness said. "Of get the BATS! Just get something!"

"What's with the conven… Hey! Guys! Destro's stuck to the roof!" Monkeywrench shouted down the hall from the doorway. In seconds, all of the Dreadnoks were looking in through the doorway and laughing their heads off..

"It's not funny!" Baroness yelled.

"The hell it isn't!" Torch shouted. "This is rich!"

"Can you or can you not get him down?" Firefly asked.

"Aren't those our snow chains?" Buzzer asked.

"You're right." Donald said. "I propose we reclaim them." "Yeah! Let's get them back!" Road Pig shouted.

"I got it!" Monkeywrench said. He climbed on the desk and used his wrench to pull the hook, which was causing a low spot in the ceiling, out.

THWUMP!

WHAP!

Destro landed on his head with a thud, and the plaster in the ceiling fell on top of him.

"Are you all right?" Baroness asked Destro as she ripped the tape off.

"Owie." Destro whimpered.

"Who did this?" Firefly asked.

"Those blasted kids! That's who!" Destro shouted.

"They did all this?" Torch looked around.

"Those six little demons and Zartan's replacement planned this!" Destro shouted.

"They're growing up." Monkeywrench said.

"That explains how our chains got here." Buzzer said. "They got you good!"

"When I get my hands on them…" Destro started.

"Don't go after our kids!" Monkeywrench shouted.

"Your kids scratched my face!" Firefly shouted.

"No, that was the blue ring leader." Destro said. "If I catch her, she'll be cleaning toilets for the rest of her days!"

"I think Cobra Commander might disagree." Torch said. "He and Zartan and Mindbungler are talking about the blood tests."

"I've got to get to that meeting!" Destro stormed out of the office with the Baroness hot on his heels.

"Those kids are geniuses!" Buzzer said, looking at the walls. "Who's gonna tell Zartan about this?"

"Destro." Monkeywrench said. "Who else?"

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**And a big thank you to Red Witch for reviewing! Let me know what you think of this chappy by hitting the little purple button at the bottom left of your screen! It won't kill you, I promise. Scout's Honor!**

**Thunderbird:**_ Yeah! You were never a scout!_

**Rs**** Watch it, pretty boy.**

**Thunderbird:**_ Or you'll do what?_

**Rs:** **I'll make you run around in a pink tutu like I did to Logan in Mutants in Magix. And I'll have you sing "I'm a Little Teapot" like Storm.**

**Thunderbird:**_ I'll shut up! I'll keep quiet! Just don't make me act like a loon!_

**Rs: We'll see about that last bit. Anyawys, I hope you all enjoy this bit. Excuse me while I try to pry Neal off of my ceiling fan.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Time for the next chapter. How do seven kids hide from Destro? And what did Mindbender find out from the blood analysis? Read on to find out.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Seven: **Rules of the Gambler**

"How interesting is 'very interesting'?" Cobra Commander asked Mindbender. Shadowatch's lab results were back, and things were sounding promising.

"Like I said, it's varied." Mindbender answered. "No records on Thunderbird or Lady Mastermind, due to their being out of this country. Vampira's mutation is evolving; she'll be a walking dead person within a week. All three have had their natural mutations enhanced or repressed with drugs. But It's been to long to tell which ones."

"We can skip over the Dukes brothers." Zartan said. "We confirmed that relation when Ralph drove them to the base."

"Really?" Cobra Commander raised an eyebrow. "What else have you found out?"

"Atlantis is a shapeshifter and those nails of hers draw blood." Zartan replied. "She scratched Firefly earlier after Lady Mastermind lost herself in the lab."

"Which brings us to Miss Creed's sample." Mindbender said. "I know for certain that she and the other three were in a lab together; however, she must have been a pet project. The fins are not part of her naturally occurring mutation, but an addition. Her system contains trace amounts of a powerful suppressant and strong amounts of a very unstable enhancer, as well as a few mind- controlling agents."

"And what about the DNA itself?" Zartan said. "There weren't any specifics in their resume."

"That's what's gotten me confused." Mindbender sighed. "Her blood matched to that of a Canadian mercenary for hire by fifty percent."

"Her father?" Cobra Commander blinked.

"Yes." Mindbender said. "His codename is Sabertooth. SHIELD's got an extensive file on him from Weapon X and many other hits."

"It seems we have stumbled upon the preverbal 'diamond in the rough.'" Cobra Commander said as Destro burst through the doors.

"ZARTAN!" Destro shouted. "THOSE KIDS MUST BE MADE TO LEAVE!"

"Nice makeup." Mindbender snickered.

"Oh, this isn't the half of it!" Destro growled. "First, they duct tape me to my chair; then, they put makeup on me; then they hung me upside down from the ceiling and left me there with that accursed redneck music!"

"It sounds like a harmless prank to me." Zartan said.

"There was nothing harmless about it!" Destro protested. "And that child of yours was the one who brought the makeup and snow chains!"

"Unless they did some major physical harm, there is no reason to punish them for getting creative." Cobra Commander said. "And didn't I hear that you started the argument with them in the first place?"

"That's not the point!" Destro yelped.

"Seems like it to me." Zartan said.

"Look, until screening is over, I can't let the team go." Cobra Commander said. "Either deal with it or leave."

"I hate kids." Destro grumbled.

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Zarana was walking down one of the corridors when she heard the sound of an argument from behind one of the closet doors.

"We can't play that! It's too violent!" Mitch's voice said.

"Oh, what's the harm?" Andi asked.

"I fell off of the chair the last time!" Mitch returned.

"But we don't have any spoons!" Kristen protested as Zarana opened the door. There in the closet floor were Zanya and Shadowatch, with a deck of cards in the center.

"What are you up to?" Zarana asked.

"Teaching her to play Spoons." Bryan said.

"Which isn't as violent as Egyptian Rat." Kristen commented.

"Yeah, this one's only bad if two people are really competitive and won't let go of the spoon." Andi said.

"Okay, I'll bite." Zarana said. "Why are you playing Spoons, though you have no spoons, in one of the closets?"

"Because we don't want to be casualties of Hurricane Destro." Zanya answered.

"What did you do to him?" Zarana asked.

"Duct taped him to a chair." Kristen said.

"With four different colors of tape." Mitch added.

"Put the Baroness's makeup on his mask." Regan said.

"Used our snow chains to hang him upside down from the roof." Zanya said.

"Graffitied his office." Bryan said.

"And set all his radio presets to country western stations." Neal finished.

"Which one of you came up with this?" Zarana blinked.

"I found some pencils!" Regan said. "Will those work?"

"I guess." Andi said.

"Andi did." Bryan said.

"I did not!" Andi said. "The radio thing was all yours!"

"But you are the one who got the idea out of thin air." Zanya said. "Or in this case, a Tim Allen movie."

"How many pencils do we need?" Neal asked.

"This was payback for that fight I heard about this afternoon, wasn't it?" Zarana asked.

"Six." Kristen said.

"And yes." Andi answered.

"Got it." Zarana said. "I'll go see if I can distract the Baroness for you."

"Thanks." Zanya smiled. "Okay, now how do we play again?"

"Everyone gets four cards." Andi said, handing out seven sets of four cards to each person. "Then, the dealer draws a card."

"If she can't use that card, she passes it on." Kristen said. "I can use this card, so I keep it, and pass one that I can't use to Mitch."

"And I draw again." Andi said. "The objective is to get four of a kind."

"When someone does get four of a kind, they reach for a spoon, or pencil in this case." Bryan said. "Then everyone else goes after the remaining pencils until there's none left."

"The one who's to slow to get a pencil gets kicked out." Mitch said. "Everyone got it?"

"Yep." Regan nodded.

"Okay with me." Neal replied.

"Then we'll start." Bryan said. Cards were passed for about three minutes until Kristen dove after a pencil. The others all made a mad grab and finally Regan was left without a pencil.

"Sorry Reg." Neal shrugged.

"Okay, round two." Kristen said. "My deal." She dealt the cards and the game started again. This time Mitch was the last one to grab.

"Sorry, bro." Bryan said. "Rules are rules." The game went on and Neal was kicked out next.

"Final four." Andi said. "Interesting." This time, Kristen and Bryan grabbed the same pencil and neither was willing to let go.

"It's mine!" Bryan said.

"I saw it first!" Kristen shouted.

"I had it first!" Bryan yelled back. "Leggo!"

"You leggo!" Kristen shrieked. Finally, the poor pencil had enough of the tug of war and snapped in two. The sudden absence of something to hold on to forced Kristen and Bryan to the ground.

"Ow!" Bryan groaned as he landed unceremoniously on his derriere.

"Man, that hurt!" Kristen winced as she rubbed her behind.

"So, now who gets it?" Zanya asked.

"Whoever has the biggest part." Andi said. "Put those halves next to each other."

Kris and Ry did so. "I think Kristen won." Neal said.

"That's how it looks." Regan nodded.

"Whoohoo!" Kristen whooped as she floated into the air.

"Hey, fang, get your butt back down here and finish the game!" Andi admonished.

"Sorry." Kristen grinned as she floated back down to the floor.

"Let's go!" Zanya said. The game went on and Zanya and Andi tied the next round. Tied as in they grabbed the same pencil.

"Here we go." Mitch sighed. "This is when it gets violent."

"Not as violent as Egyptian Rat- Slap." Kristen commented. "That game is brutal!"

"Yeow!" Andi squealed as she landed with a thud on her back.

"I win!" Zanya grinned. She held up a bout two thirds of a pencil.

"Okay, you two finish it out." Andi grumbled as she sat back up. In the lightning round, Kristen was faster than Zanya.

"Not bad for a rookie." Kristen shrugged.

"Not bad at all." Ry said. "You're a quick study."

"Of course it didn't help that we broke two pencils." Neal said.

"Can we play Egyptian Rat now?" Regan asked.

"No!" Bryan and Mitch shouted.

**Okay, that's how everyone's doing so far. If anyone has any suggestions, get them to me. I'm running low on inspiration.**

**Thunderbird:**_ I'll say! You got our idea from a card match!_

**Rs: I told you I needed help! Writing two fics is hard!**

**Sapphire:**_ Speaking of which, when are you going to get back to me? I haven't had any face time in three bloody chapters and I'm one of the stars!_

**Rs: I'm working on it.**

**Luna:**_ And what about the band? Shouldn't you have us do a gig or something?_

**Rs: I will get to it as soon as I have time and as soon as my allergies clear up. Anyway, review me with any ideas you fans have. And a big thank you to Red Witch for reviewing!**


	8. Chapter 8

Hello again my lovely readers. It is time to rejoin our aspiring villains as they go through yet another round of training. What's in store for them this time? Will they make it through the next round? Will they even all live through the session? Read on to find out.

Second Chances 

Chapter Eight: **Time for Round Two!**

No one was quite sure why she could stay up late and wake up so early, or why her freaky metabolism could keep her going on small meals, but wouldn't let her skip one. Andi, however, was undaunted by the questions of _why_ she was the way she was. It was a simple matter of inheritance. Her mother's metabolism and her father's lessened need for sleep made her the bane of her housemates who loved to sleep until noon. Her current roommate was no exception.

"Where the sidewalk ends and the road begins. We said goodbye; on a cold, dark night!" Andi half sung, half caterwauled as she burst into the room and started brushing her hair.

"Stop it!" Zanya moaned as she placed a pillow over her head.

"I'm not afraid to go, you bet I'm not! Where the sidewalk ends, you left the lot!" Andi continued.

"No one should be this f----g perky so f----g early in the morning!" Zanya swore from under the bed sheets.

"What issues on earth have you against George Strait, I'd like to know?" Andi asked, arms folded.

"Nothing!" Zanya shouted. "It's you I have issues with!"

"Don't get huffy with me! You're the one who keeps sleeping in too late!" Andi retorted as she threw her hair back in a ponytail.

"Why are you wearing a bathing suit?" Zanya asked.

"Our session is at the docks and if you'd been downstairs you would have heard." Andi replied. "Now get out of bed before you make us late for training."

"Screw you." Zanya grumbled.

"Andi." Kristen said softly as she stuck her head in the room. "I don't think I can make it to the session."

"Oh, Kris." Andi sighed. Kristen's powers allowed her to become human or vampire; however, Mindbender had told them that her powers would be evolving, making her more vampire than human. He said that the transformation should take a week or so to fully complete, but the signs were now very clear. Kristen's normally tan skin was now a light shade of gray, and no doubt very sensitive to sunlight. Her eyes had also changed from their typical aqua-green to so light blue that they were nearly white. "Take the day off and go see if that Mindbender guy has anything that will help."

"Okay." Kristen sighed. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't sweat it." Andi waved. "We'll be fine."

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"Why aren't the others here?" Zanya asked.

"This session is just for you seven, or six, as is the case." Zartan said. "It's somewhat basic, but if we cover it now, we won't have any problems later."

"Ocean training?" Chaos asked.

"Yes." Zartan answered.

"Do we have to get on a boat?" Thunderbird whined. "I hate boats!"

"He also gets seasick." Lady Mastermind added.

"Some of you will have to stay on the boat, yes." Zartan said. "But a few will be diving down to retrieve a marker at the bottom of the bay."

"Who's going?" Golem asked.

"I wanna drive!" Chaos raised his hand and floated into the air.

"I don't mind." Atlantis shrugged. "What would you want to do, Thunderbird?"

"Do we have obstacles to deal with?" Thunderbird asked.

"Ocean currents, underwater lasers, maybe some nets." Zartan replied. "To be honest, Destro set up the course yesterday, so it will be whatever he had going."

"Okay, can I stay back here?" Thunderbird asked.

"Good idea." Atlantis said. "His powers aren't much good underwater, and he's of no use on the boat if he's puking over the side."

"Fine." Zartan said. "Thunderbird can stay behind, the rest of you can fight out who's going under."

"See you on the ship." Regan smirked. She bolted off for the boat, followed closely by the rest of the remaining team. Bryan tried to fly, but Regan hit him with a psionic blast that forced him back down. In the end, she won the race.

"That was fun." Mitch quipped. "So we're down to five?"

"That sucks." Bryan said. "Just not as bad as having Neal puke on everything."

"Okay, who's going down there?" Regan asked.

"Only the most agile." Andi said. "Sorry Reg, but you and Mitch need to stay topside and monitor us while we're down there."

"Hakuna Matata." Mitch said. "I'd just sink anyway."

"So it's the three of us." Zanya asked. Andi nodded a reply. "Great."

"Just drive us there, we'll fight it out on the way." Bryan said. Mitch started the engine and drove out about half a mile from the docks.

"This look good?" He asked.

"Just fine." Zanya said as she finished fumbling with a scuba tank. "Now where did…"

"What's taking you so long?" Andi called. She had already dived off the boat and was swimming in the water.

"Not all of us can breathe water, showoff!" Bryan returned. He and Zanya jumped off the ship and the three dove under the surface.

'_We're on silent now._' Andi thought as they went deeper and deeper below the water. Communicators were shatterproof, not waterproof. They'd found that out before when Bryan had accidentally dropped one into a cup of water. But that wasn't important.

She looked around at the vast expanse of blue. Nothing yet…

Sssssshhhhhhiiiiiirrrrrrmmmmm.

Then again, not. That was a laser beam. '_REGAN! We're being shot at!'_

_I sense you all. _Regan said telepathically to the trio. _You're about fifteen feet from the floor._

_Thanks for the help!_ Bryan screamed back. He had just missed the first beam when another one came at him.

Zanya seemed to be having better luck. She had spotted the colorful pool toy that served as the marker and was going straight at it when she stopped suddenly. _What is this?_

Andi saw the sudden halt, as well as the web of fishing line that was holding her back. _Reg, tell her it's fishing line! Tell her not to move, I'll cut her out._

_I'll try. _Regan sighed. _Zanya! You're caught in fishing line! Atlantis is on her way to get you untangled._

_I can get out!_ Zanya hissed telepathically. She continued to struggle against the line, wasting the air in her tank as she went.

_First, kill lasers._ Atlantis thought. She concentrated on the water around her and made a mini current, just swift enough to throw the lasers off. Chaos took the hint and crushed them into bits. _Next, rescue my idiot teammate._ She mentally grumbled as she swam to the other girl. Zanya, meanwhile, had managed to get herself entirely tangled up in the wire net, and was coming nowhere close to getting out. Zanya checked the tank's air gauge and sighed. In theory, the two-pound tank was supposed to have enough air for an hour's dive. Apparently, however, someone had used both the tank she wore and Bryan's in the previous session, and didn't leave any warning. There was barely a third left, if that.

_I'm running out of air down here! _Zanya 'shouted' to the crew.

_There's not much I can do._ Regan sighed. _How much time do you two have left?_

_I can make it back. _Chaos replied. _Don't know about Z._

_I've been stuck in the web for the past five minutes. _Zanya said. _There's no way I've got enough to get out and make it to the surface at this rate._

_Ann! _Regan shouted. _You need to cut Zanya out. _

_After I get this current re-stabilized. _Andi yelled. _It's not an easy thing to manage. Aren't those fresh tanks?_

_No._ Regan said.

_Fine, I'm coming! _Andi groaned. She swam over to the net and used her fins to cut the entangled Dreadnok loose. Unfortunately, Zanya had gotten so mixed up in the line, that she was still stuck in place. Andi solved the problem by delicately—by that, I mean as fast as possible—cutting the wire that was around the other girl's legs. _Is Ry topside yet? _

_Just surfaced._ Regan answered. _He barely made it up._

_I've got maybe a minute, two at the most._ Zanya said. _I think that Destro rigged these tanks. They shouldn't be draining this fast._

_Get out!_ Regan shouted. _I sense something else in your vicinity_.

_Like what?_ Andi asked. However, at that point, she saw a huge violet colored creature with massive teeth in both of its mouths and three eyes coming at them. _Nevermind!_

In a moment of blind panic, she grabbed Zanya's arm and made a rip current in the water.

On the surface, the other two were anxious.

"What is it?" Mitch asked.

"I said I don't know!" Regan shouted. "I couldn't get a read on it."

"Maybe it was just a fish." Bryan suggested. At about that moment, the boat was forced further out to sea by a sudden current. A massive wave began to form, sucking the boat towards it. "What's going on?" Bryan asked as he and the others held on to whatever rigging they could find on the small craft.

"Look!" Mitch shouted. Through the center of the wave, the silhouettes of two females swam upwards to the top of the wave. Right behind them, a large creature with many fins and a fishtail came after them with jaws open. The team watched as Andi and Zanya broke surface.

"Can they fight that thing off?" Regan asked.

"They'd better hope so." Bryan said. "Cause if they can't, we don't stand a chance."

Up on the breaker, Zanya had come to the full realization that a) she could not walk on water, and b) she was fifteen feet up in the air with a monster underneath her and the only way out was if blondy could drive him away. "Can't you do something?" she asked.

"This is about it!" Andi shouted back. "I don't even know how I did this!"

"That's reassuring!" Zanya shouted as the creature jumped out of the water. It had to have been about eight feet long, but only a foot or so deep. However, the two jaws were more than enough to make both girls panic.

"Jump!" Andi shouted, again dragging Zanya off with her. The two hit the water at the bottom of the wave, and avoided the monster for the moment, only to see it circle back around.

"Come fly Chaos Air!" Bryan shouted as he flew overhead. He grabbed hold of the two girls and flew them back to the boat.

"That was close." Mitch said.

"But not as close as that wave." Bryan added nervously. True to fact, the wave was barreling down on the small boat. "Can you turn it, Ann?"

"I can try." Andi said. She stretched her hand out and closed her eyes. She could _feel_ the sheer power of the water wall as it came closer. She concentrated hard on it, ordering it to go back onto itself. Unbeknownst to her, the wave was doing precisely that. When she opened her eyes, the wave crashed about ten feet from the small boat.

"Whoa. That was wicked." Chaos said as Andi fell to her knees.

"Are you all right?" Regan asked.

"I think so." Andi said.

"Guys." Mitch said. "Jaws is back for round two."

"Then drive out, doofus!" Regan slapped him on the head. Mitch scurried as fast as he could behind the wheel and kicked the engine on. They outran the creature for a minute or so, then it swam up and bit a chunk out of the hull.

"We've been bit!" Bryan yelled.

"I can keep the water out, just keep going!" Andi shouted. Mitch continued to drive as she forced the waves away from the gash in the back of the boat.

"It's leaving." Zanya said as they reached the docks.

"So are we." Bryan said. He helped guide the others to the dock, where Neal helped them back onto the shore. Everyone had gotten off and was watching intently when the boat finally sank.

"What happened out there?" Neal asked. "I saw the monster, but how'd you find him?"

"Just luck." Mitch quipped.

"I thought Mindbender had gotten rid of that thing!" Zartan shouted.

"That's what that creepy dude in the lab does?" Neal asked.

"Mostly." Zanya said. "The only reason he's running the med lab here is because we had to send our three good people doctors to separate ends of the globe."

"Anyway, did you get the marker?" Zartan asked.

Andi, Bryan, and Zanya looked at each other, then back at Zartan. "No."

"It's not that important." Zartan sighed. "Since it was just a private session, it doesn't count anyway."

"Good." Regan said. "I'm never eating sushi again!"

"Ditto." Bryan said as Andi started massaging her temples. "Are you okay, Ann?"

"Yeah." Andi said. "I just did too much today, I'll be fine."

"Either way, why don't you go ask for some painkillers from the lab?" Zartan said. "The rest of you go stay in the lounge."

"That means they have another meeting about the new secret weapon today." Zanya said as Andi shot off for the building.

"Move it!" Zartan ordered. The kids raced behind Andi to the building. "Now I have to talk to Mindbungler about the blasted piranha he left out here!" He said as he followed in behind the kids.


	9. Chapter 9

**You should all know who owns what by now, so let's move on. Double update! **

**Sapphire:** Why can't you do that for us?

**I do reviewer's mentions with your fics and it takes up a lot of time going through the dozen or so reviews I get.**

**Scott:** And that's why you left me with Bobby and Roberto?

**No, that was because you need to chill. There's a stick shoved so far up your ass that it could be used as a periscope. Anyway, let's move on to the chapter. Mostly really serious stuff, but as soon as I get a crazy idea, I'll do something really random.**

Second Chances 

Chapter Nine:** What Lies Beneath**

Andi raced to the lab, hoping to get some of the medication down before the full impact of her eminent migraine hit. Halfway there, she could feel the pain getting worse. No doubt because of the lighted hallway and the dozens of other people she'd ran past on her way. _Maybe I won't get sick this time._ She thought. She saw the glass doors of the lab and bolted in.

Mindbender was busy working out the bugs in his latest plan when the sound of the sliding glass doors interrupted him. He looked up to see Atlantis making a mad dash to the medicine cabinet. "What do you need?" He asked curtly.

"Tylenol, or Advil, maybe just aspirin would work." Andi blurted out. "Any kind of painkiller really. Just something to make this migraine a little less of a drag."

"Who sent you in here?" Mindbender asked. He hated dealing with kids, especially the ones that needed constant attention.

"Zartan." Andi said. "Now can you just give me the flippin' drugs?"?

"You're a little young to be getting migraines." Mindbender replied.

"You try having powers that go haywire while you're working!" Andi shouted.

"Fine." Mindbender snapped back. He pulled a bottle of generic Advil off the top shelf, opened it, and handed her two caplets. "Now go!"

"No problem." Andi said. She rushed back out the doors to where the water fountain she had passed a while back was.

"Finally!" Mindbender exclaimed. "I've spent months on this DNA transfusion process and the last thing I need is for someone to ruin it."

"Bungler!" Zartan shouted as he walked into the lab. This made Mindbender jump in place and hit the erase button on the computer keyboard he was working with.

"Noooo!" he shouted. "Come back, please! I need you!"

"I thought you said you'd gotten rid of that Aquus experiment!" Zartan shouted.

"You ruined my work!" Mindbender shouted back. "And besides, Aquus was terminated! Kaput!"

"Then why was it still out in the docks?" Zartan said. "It ripped a hole in one of the boats and nearly ate two of my agents!"

"Oh." Mindbender gulped. "I guess I forgot."

"Well, your memory glitch just nearly cost me an entire team of agents and Destro a new boat!" Zartan said. "I'm certainly **not** going to be the one paying for that!"

"Then you can deal with that little blue agent of yours!" Mindbender shouted. "She just almost finished off my last bottle of painkillers!"

"And what did you expect?" Zartan asked. "You yourself said that her powers were becoming unstable!"

"Wait." Mindbender thought. "Did she use her powers extensively today?"

"Of course she did!" Zartan snapped. "Your leviathan left her no alternative; that and nobody marked the air tanks as used after the last session."

"She depleted herself." Mindbender mumbled. "Oh dear, this isn't good."

"How so?" Zartan asked.

"The enhancer in her system is keyed to react to her body." Mindbender said. "If she's overworked herself or has been under a period of stress, then we're talking about a massive power surge."

"Now?" Zartan blinked.

"No, not right away." Mindbender said. "Her system's building up for it. She may have two weeks, or two days; it all depends on her level of activity."

"Considering her metabolism, not long." Zartan said. "Is there any way to reverse this?"

"Not unless you wanted to kill her." Mindbender said sternly.

"Then tell me this is a one time thing." Zartan said.

"I can't." Mindbender replied. "Not until I can analyze all of her symptoms during this surge. After that I can determine which drug will be the best treatment."

"But nothing now." Zartan sighed. "Why do I always get the strange ones?"

Outside the lab, Andi had taken refuge in the first closet she came to. Which was one of the janitorial supplies closets. She had curled up in a ball on the floor, waiting for the painkillers to kick in.

_But what if they don't work? _She thought. _What if it's too late? Will my powers go haywire? I know I'll get sick, but will the pain leave or get worse? _She closed her eyes and hoped that the throbbing in her head would stop. Fast.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone walking to the closet. "Pass me by. Pass me by. Pass me by." She chanted, but it didn't make any difference. The stranger stopped at the door and swung it open.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Why are you in here?"

The sudden flood of light and noise caused a sensory overload for Andi. She slowly sat up and rested her head on her knees.

"Are you okay?" The stranger asked.

She couldn't take it anymore. Andi stood up and bolted out of the closet, hoping to get to the bathroom. She burst through the door and barely made it to the toilet, not knowing that the stranger had followed her in.

"Hey? Are you okay in there?" He asked as Andi coughed up her breakfast.

"What do you want?" She moaned.

"I want to know if you're okay in there or do you need me to get the doctor out here." He said.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Jeff." He said. "What's you're name

"Atlantis." She replied.

"Now can you answer my question?" he asked.

"Get him if you want." She said. "I don't car… uh…" she started to gag again.

"oh no." He sighed. Jeff pushed the door back and ran to the stall she'd stopped in. "Here." He said as he pulled her bangs out of her face. Andi, however, didn't have time to pay attention. She was still throwing up. He stayed there behind her until she stopped. "Do you need me to help you get to the medbay?" He asked.

"Maybe." She groaned as she leaned her head against the stall wall. He gently grabbed her waist and helped her to her feet. As he helped her out the door she felt the pain in her head go from throbbing to stabbing. Andi used the hand that wasn't clinging to Jeff for dear life to clutch her forehead.

"When did this start?" He asked her.

_Oh no. _she thought. _How much do I tell him? _"Ten minutes ago." She mumbled. Her head felt as if it were splitting in half.

"We're almost there." He said. "Just hang on."

She nodded weakly before closing her eyes tightly in an attempt to slow the pain. It was all she could take. She screamed and fell to her knees, effectively blinded by the pain.

Jeff stopped and looked on in horror as Atlantis sank to her knees. He was even more worried when he saw blood coming from her ears and nose. In a moment of pure instinct, he bolted into the medbay to get help. Mindbender, interrupted for the third time that hour, glared at the new intruder.

"What is it this time?" he snapped.

"There's an agent named Atlantis in the hallway that has blood coming out of her ears." Jeff replied. "Not to mention that she's been throwing up."

"Oh no." Mindbender gulped, seeing for the first time that anything and everything liquid enough to pass for water was going berserk. "Get her in here now!"

Jeff bolted back out the door, only to find Atlantis nearly unconscious. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the lab.

"Set her on the bed." Mindbender ordered as he put an IV together. Jeff laid her down and Mindbender hooked the IV up and gave her an injection.

"What did you do?" Jeff asked as a BAT started hooking monitors up to the unconscious girl.

"I gave her a sedative." Mindbender said. "It's the only way to keep her from writhing around or chopping hands off." He prepared another vial as he spoke. "This one is a painkiller. Hopefully, this will stabilize her enough for me to study her."

"So she's just some project?" Jeff asked as he watched the girl go from tan to blue in a matter of seconds.

"Not of mine." Mindbender groaned. "She's one of Zartan's new agents."

"So someone drugged her?" the younger agent asked as the two BATS started cleaning the blood off of the girl before it could dry.

"It's a possibility." The scientist growled. "Now if you're not going to help, which I doubt you could anyway, go find Zartan or the rest of the team and get them in here."

"Will do." Jeff nodded as he left the lab.

"I just hope we found her in time." Mindbender said to himself as he looked at Atlantis and the monitors. Meanwhile, the liquids in the various vials and test tubes began to settle down once again.

**Serious stuff, I know, but it will get lighter after the next chapter, I promise. R&R!**


	10. Chapter 10

**And on again, off again…wait, now that song's stuck. Oh, well, I guess I can just get on with it. The end is kinda crappy, and I apologize in advance for it. I just can't get my brain to function today. But enough about me, time to return to the medlab.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Ten: **Awakening**

When Andi woke up some three hours later, all of her team were standing around her. That, and she still had a killer headache. She tried to sit up, but instantly regretted it in favor of keeping her equilibrium.

"Easy, Ann." Bryan said as he pushed her back down. "That doctor says you're not supposed to leave."

"What happened to me?" Andi groaned as she rubbed her temples. "The last thing I remember was flying."

"You didn't fly." Mitch said. "One of the other agents carried you in here. Do you remember?"

"No." Andi said. "I know who you are, but nothing after the session this morning."

"Then don't push it." Regan said. "It'll come back eventually."

"How did you find out?" Andi asked.

"That mystery hero of yours interrupted one of the office meetings, and Zartan called us in here." Kristen said. "You were already out of it when we got here, and there were monitors all over the place."

"Mindbender took those off a while back." Ry explained. "Why do you think you passed out?"

"I think I overdid it and caused a surge or something." Andi said softly. "Like I said, I can't remember anything."

"That's okay." Regan said. "Maybe if you rest up here and stay in bed you can go home tomorrow."

"Observation, right?" Andi asked.

"Good guess." Neal said. "Are you sure you won't go stir-crazy in here?"

"This place isn't as creepy." Andi said. "I'll be fine as long as someone can get my book bag."

"The big blue one, right?" Ry asked.

"Yeah." Andi sighed. "Clover might know where I left it. Although, I think it's in the closet."

"I'll check for ya." Kristen said. "I'm going to see if I can catch a ride."

"Did you get the skin thing worked out?" Andi asked.

"Yeah." Kristen said. "Some kind of lotion that bocks the sun. Rubs in like foundation, too. Anyway, I'll go see if the Bikers have left yet."

"Good luck!" Andi said, wincing at the sound of her own voice.

"Relax, Ann." Ry said. "You won't get better until you get some sleep."

"I slept for the past three hours, Ry." Andi chided. "I want to do something else."

"There's one of those roll-away trays over here." Neal said.

"And I have the cards we used last time." Regan said. "But we need more."

"For what?" Mitch asked.

"Egyptian Rat." Regan said.

"Please no!" Mitch begged. "I'll give you my digi-soccer game if you stop!"

"No." Regan said. "No deal."

"I think there's a deck in my back." Andi said. "Why don't we wait on Kristen."

"Works for me." Ry said.

_**Half and hour later…**_

"This bites." Mitch pouted. He had already lost his cards.

"Don't hark on me just because you suck." Kristen glared as she laid another card down.

"Ha!" Regan said triumphantly as she slapped the deck.

"Ow!" Neal shrieked. "Andi, you need to trim those claws of yours!"

"Sorry, but you were in the way." Andi said.

"I didn't feel anything." Ry said as he put one of his last four on the ground.

"Mine!" Andi shouted as she slapped.

"Kris!" Regan shouted.

"Sorry!" Kris apologized.

"See!" Andi pointed. "It's not just me."

"See what I mean." Mitch said.

"Yeah." Neal said. "I'm sitting this out, my hand hurts too much."

"Suit yourself." Regan said as Zanya walked in.

"And we don't even have to divide his cards up." Kristen said. "You wanna join in, Zanya?"

"Okay," Zanya said "this is Rat, right?"

"Yeah." Ry said. "You know how to play?"

"Yes." Zanya said.

"Then take Neal's set and lay one down." Andi said. "But don't look at it."

"I know how to play cards." Zanya said as she laid a king on the table.

"Three shot, Ry." Regan said.

"I know that!" Ry said. "Let's just play."

Five minutes and several shrieks of agony later, Mindbender chased the "visitors" out of the lab, leaving Andi alone with her thoughts and books. The next morning, he returned to find her solving a giant crossword puzzle. On the ceiling tiles.

"What have you done to my roof?" He shouted.

"I put the crossword puzzle from the TV guide on the roof and am solving it." Andi replied.

"At five in the morning?" He glared.

"I got bored."

"Did you sleep at all?"

"I don't need much sleep."

"Fine!" Mindbender groaned. "Your handler is here."

"And where are my clothes?" She asked.

"Not my problem." Mindbender said and pointed to the door. "OUT!"

"Fine!" She groaned. Not long after, she found a shirt and a pair of generic gray sweatpants—even though they could double for footy pajama pants—and made herself presentable to leave. She was back on base before eight a.m.


	11. You Can't Fix Stupid

**And now we finally have a lighter chapter! Poor Andi may never get that bike to run if these interruptions keep popping up.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter eleven: **You Can't Fix Stupid**

Within hours of being back at the Dreadnok's base, Andi had once again taken over a section of the driveway to work on her bike. The new brake line had come in while she had been unconscious in the lab, and she had thrown herself into installing it as soon as possible. Half way through putting the line back on, the boys burst outside and started playing catch.

"Will you two try to keep this away from me?" Andi shouted as Bryan flew over her head.

"Sorry!" Mitch shouted. "I'm open!"

And up went the football once again. Yeah, they would stop—next Christmas.

"Knock it off!" Andi growled.

"Sorry!" Neal shouted. "We need to find a new place to play."

"Yeah." Bryan said. "How about the roof!"

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Neal asked.

"Not as dangerous as staying down here." Mitch said. "You do not want to be around when that girl gets pissed."

"I know." Neal winced, remembering the last time someone had set the two-toned girl over the top. "I still get nightmares about it."

"Then to the roof!" Bryan thrust his hand up in the air and marched into the garage. He came back with a ladder, and soon all three boys were on the roof.

"I got it!"

"T-bird! Catch!"

"Cool! It's like, ultimate Defense territory up here!"

"Please, don't start that again!" Mitch groaned as Kristen (who for once was awake before lunch.) stuck her head out of a window.

"What are you nuts doing? I'm trying to sleep!" she shouted.

"Playing football on the roof!" Ry said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You're insane!" Regan shouted from inside somewhere, just about the same time that the Dreadnoks came out on the lawn to see what the fuss was about.

"What are you doing on the roof?" Zandar shouted.

"Is that a football?" Torch asked.

"Cool!" Buzzer shouted. "They found a way to play on the roof!"

"Don't you start it too!" Zarana shouted.

"Too late." Zanya sighed and pointed to Road Pig and Monkeywrench, who were following Buzzer up the ladder.

"They're gonna fall through." Zandar groaned.

"Not unless you have rain rot or termites." Andi replied off-handedly. "Now will all of you please shut up and let me get this last section attached?"

"Look out!" Mitch shouted as Ry's last throw sailed into the neighbor's house, shattering the window in the process.

"Uh oh." Neal gulped.

"Scatter!" Torch shouted. The guys on the roof jumped off and bolted for the front door.

"I'm gonna kill the joker that did this!" The neighbor shouted as a black car pulled up.

"What the hell?" Zartan blinked as he got out. The neighbor was now on the front lawn yelling at Zandar. Andi was making runs from the garage to the driveway and back in an attempt to put the tools and other random objects she'd borrowed back where they were (shouting curses in several languages as she did so.) Zarana could be seen through the window chasing the other males around with what appeared to be a steak knife, and all of the ones being chased were running up the stairs, or down the stairs, or in and out of rooms. One of them had ducked under the couch by that point. "Can somebody please explain what's going on here?"

"Those kids shattered my window!" The cranky neighbor shouted and pointed at the demolished pane. "This is vandalism!"

"For the last time, vandalism involves graffiti or toilet paper, not a football!" Zandar protested. "This was an accident."

"The only accident was letting those nuts on the roof!" The neighbor shouted.

"So that's why the ladder is out." Zartan sighed. "I suddenly get the feeling we may be in way over our heads?"

"Bob! What are you doing out there?" The neighbor's wife shouted from the doorway.

"Getting rid of those crazy kids!" Bob shouted back.

"Jeeze, Bob, just have them pay for the window!" Neighbor's wife shouted.

"But…" Bob started.

"It's just a window!" She yelled. "Now come put something over this hole!"

"Yes, honey!" Bob groaned. "Those hooligans got off easy this time! They won't be so lucky the next one!"

"Somehow, I don't think there will be a repeat of this, sir." Zartan said.

"There better not be!" Bob shook his fist.

"BOB!" Bob's wife screamed.

"Coming!" Bob yelled back as he barged back into his house.

"There had better be a really good explanation for this." Zartan groaned.

"I would give you one, but I don't know what those boys were doing on the roof in the first place." Zandar shouted. "I just heard lots of plodding around and then somebody woke Vampira up, and she started yelling. When we got out there, all three of those boys were on the roof, and then Buzzer found the ladder was still up and the rest of them followed suit."

"And then somebody threw the ball too hard and took out the window." Zartan concluded. "Now we just have to go to ground zero to find out how this got started."

"Ground zero?" Zandar blinked.

"The living room." Zartan said. "Or whatever's left of it after Zarana got done chasing those boys and the rest of our team around."

"Why do I get the feeling that going to that staff meeting may have been a better idea than staying here?" Zandar groaned.

**Well, at least nobody actually got hurt. For now. Anyway, next chapter everybody gets chewed out. Reviews appreciated.**


	12. The Blame Game

**I don't own much of anything here. Andi, Kris, Ry, and Mitch are the only things that I can claim. Moving on, how do you lecture against stupidity? I don't know, but it looks like Zartan's gonna have to try. **

**Second Chances**

Chapter twelve: **The Blame Game**

The living room had been turned into an interrogation room. All who had been outside when the neighbor's window was shattered were now lined up—no, scratch that, there wasn't enough room on the couch—facing Zartan.

"Let's run over this again." Zartan pinched the bridge of his nose. "How did this start?"

"We went outside to play catch and Andi told us to go on the roof!" Mitch said.

"No, I told you to leave me the hell alone," Andi corrected "you came up with the roof idea all by yourselves!"

"But you told us to leave!" Neal protested.

"I told you to go away!" Andi said. "I thought that you would go in the back yard!"

"But they ended up waking Kris up in the middle of her sleep." Regan said.

"I heard the stomping from downstairs." Zanya said.

"And you went out to investigate." Zartan said. "I can't say that I'm entirely shocked that you boys would try a stunt like this, but the rest of you are adults! You should know better!"

"But it was fun!" Torch wined. "I liked jumping off the roof!"

"Me too!" Buzzer chimed in.

"And I thought Firefly was a wuss." Andi commented.

"Ditto." Regan nodded.

"Hey!" Monkeywrench shouted.

"Oh don't be such a baby!" Andi said. "You had your damn fun and nearly blew our fargin' cover! What if that idiot had called the cops?"

"We would pay them off." Zandar said. "But that's not the point."

"Actually, it is." Zartan said. "Another close call like this one could attract a lot of undue attention for us. The last thing any of us needs is for the police to figure out who we are."

"I see it." Mitch said.

"I wanna go to jail!" Bryan whined. "I can see Gram- Gram there!"

"Ignore him." Andi replied. "He's been like this for nearly four years."

"Who is their grandmother?" Zarana asked.

"Daisy Mae." Andi answered.

"Her?" Buzzer blinked.

"I think you're gonna have to do more than smash a window to get where she's at." Zanya said.

"What if we tp'd the White House?" Bryan asked.

"That might do it." Zandar thought.

"Can we get back on topic?" Zartan groaned.

"Did we get kicked out?" Regan asked.

"What?" Zarana gave the telepath an odd look.

"Look, we all know that meeting today was about us." Andi said. "We just want to know if we're still running."

"Yeah, did we get ditched?" Mitch asked.

"You did not get fired." Zartan sighed. "It's more complicated than that."

"They won't let us run because of me." Andi sighed.

"Why would you think that?" Neal asked.

"It could have been any reason." Regan said.

"But you all have stable powers." Andi said. "That wasn't the first time I've passed out and had to be sedated because of a headache. They have my blood; they know by now. I'm too great a risk to send on a high-profile mission. Anything happens and we're outed for good."

"Just how many other—'attacks' have you had, Atlantis?" Zartan asked.

"Three, or maybe four. Could be more than that, those are just the ones I remember being that bad."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Bryan demanded.

"What was I supposed to say?" Andi defended. "Hey, I'm having drug-induced, head splitting migraines that make me bleed from my ears, cause me to throw up and completely lose control of my powers. Can you help?"

"Anything would have been nice!" Regan said. "You didn't have to keep quiet about this!"

"I didn't want to worry anyone." Andi said.

"Well, now you've got the entire Cobra medical staff worried." Zartan said. "They've agreed to let you kids go on some of the smaller missions on a trial basis. Prove you can handle it, and the difficulty will be increased."

"So this Commander of yours still wants us." Andi said. "That's a first. Usually we're on some kind of kitchen detail by this point."

"You've only been here a week." Zanya said.

"We know." Bryan said. "That's a miracle in itself."

"You did see our permanent records, right?" Andi asked.

"No." Zanya looked around. "Was I supposed to? You never told me that!"

"If you hadn't been in such a mood about getting a roommate, I would have mentioned it." Zartan said. "Besides, you're an assassin! You're supposed to do some things without being told."

"Why do you keep lecturing me about this?" Zanya snapped.

"Because you're still making too many rookie mistakes!" Zartan said. "You need to sharpen your mind, not just your fighting ability!"

"I don't see why." Zanya huffed.

"Then keep leaving clues for your enemies to find." Andi said. "If you aren't careful, they'll be the ones doing the assassinating."

"Oh f—k off!" Zanya growled.

"Language!" Zartan shouted. "We may be evil, but at least make an attempt to be civil!"

"Yes, Sir." Zanya rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to see if Kristen ever got back to sleep." Andi said as she got up.

"Why?" Zanya asked. "Why can't she just sleep at night like the rest of the world?"

"She's a vampire, Clover." Andi stated. "She ain't like the rest of us."

"And Kristen should never be awakened before five in the afternoon." Regan said. "Normally she can stay up for the sessions, but she has to change her schedule for it."

"Oh crap." Neal gulped. "We're bat chow aren't we?"

"Got it in one." Mitch winced. "I just hope that pig's blood does the trick this time."

**This is the part where I grovel (note empty coffee tin beside me) for suggestions. My other two long fics are draining me of all my good ideas. **

Toad pokes head around door**) Toad:**_ Hey! How come none of the rest of us are in this fic? _

**Because you're in the other monster crossover I'm writing. If any of the readers here are interested, it's under the Winx Club category (that's where my reviewers tend to congregate), under the title Mutants in Magix. **

**Toad:**_ But why no Misfits?_

**Because this pre-dates the Misfits. At this point, the only teenaged mutants in Bayville were probably you, Four-eyes, and Miss Perfect.**

**Toad:**_ Oh. Okay! Thanks for telling me about this thirteen chapters ago!_

**It's in the summary! Now go say hello to Abby and let me finish!**

**Toad:** _Okay! _Toad hops away

**And now I can write in peace! Wow. That little wart actually got my announcements done. That's great! Now my rant is finished. Reviews greatly appreciated! **


	13. Team Bonding

**Dedication: To Red Witch, for constantly reviewing and starting this whole Misfitverse in the first place.**

**Disclaimer:** _I am insane, not stupid. Stupid people jump off of cliffs and go car surfing with no regard to their safety. Insane people know what bungee cords and tie-downs are for._

**Okay, time for a cute little bonding chapter. Like I said last chapter, I really need suggestions. R&R! **

**Second Chances**

Chapter Thirteen: **Team Bonding**

It was almost labor day, which meant that school had technically started. Good luck explaining that to Shadowatch. Especially with some certain stories floating around.

"How can you get expelled from eight schools?" Zanya asked.

"Well, either you continually cuss out your teachers or get into major fights." Andi said. "Can we get back to the movie now?" The group was having a movie night. The current poison was Batman Returns.

"I still think that we should have watched all of the Superman movies before we moved on to Batman." Bryan said.

"That's why we didn't ask you." Regan stated.

"Or you could douse the principal's car in Jell-O™." Mitch said. "Didn't one of you do that?"

"No, Mitch, that's how to get fired." Vampira said. "We did that to Fury."

"Although it would have worked really good." Andi said. "Of course one of those was because my dad ended up at the PTA meeting and got into a fist fight with the superintendent."

"The permanent record stunt also works." Bryan said as he munched on a fistful of popcorn.

"I never really went to school." Neal said.

"You were lucky." Andi groaned.

"Why are we bringing the subject up again?" Regan asked.

"Because my dad says we have to start school next Monday." Zanya said.

"That sucks." Vampira sighed. "Now I have to change my sleeping schedule."

"How long before we get suspended from this school?" Andi asked.

"Pool starts at two weeks." Bryan said. "Any bets?"

"No one is going to get expelled." Zartan said as he walked through the room.

"You obviously don't know us." Andi said slyly.

"And to keep you from getting bored, your classes have been raised a grade." Zartan replied.

"What?" Andi shouted.

"We didn't even get A's in elementary school." Bryan complained.

"Not all of you, just Atlantis." Zartan said.

"Let me guess, I'm special." Andi quipped. "There is no way I can be that smart."

"We'll see about that." Zartan said. "But for now you children can get back to your entertainment."

"Has he lost it?" Kristen laughed.

"Yeah! Only someone who's crazy would say that!" Mitch said.

"Yeah, really." Andi sighed.

"Hey, what's got you down?" Bryan asked.

"Nothing." Andi said. "Just thinking."

"What is it?" Kristen asked.

"I guess I must be defective." Andi said.

"Why?" Regan asked. "Where did this come from?"

"All three of my brothers have jobs that require smart stuff." She said. "Even Dan's job as a freakin' truck driver requires that he be able to read maps and plan stops and stuff. I'll never do that kind of stuff."

"Do not be so hard on yourself." Neal said. "There are many paying jobs in my country that require no intelligence."

"Thanks a lot, Neal." Andi quipped.

"He did have a point, though." Mitch said. "You're smarter than you think."

"We'll see how that goes on Monday." Andi quipped. "Now let's stop the pity party and get back to the movie!"

After Batman Returns, the group went straight into Superman II and III at about ten. Somewhere during III, Zandar walked through and declared them crazy. But then he came in and finished Smokey and the Bandit. Apparently 'crazy' is contagious. Sometime around two the Dreadnoks came back. Road Pig proclaimed that he was beat and went straight upstairs, and Regan and Neal went up shortly afterwards. The rest of the group stayed downstairs. Luke passed out half way through Batman Forever, at two-thirty. Most of the Dreadnoks were out by the end of it. Andi finally went out during Cannonball Run, and heaven knows when that started.

Andi woke up at eleven the next morning, curled up next to Bryan. Glancing around, she saw that Kris was up in her bed, Zandar was sprawled out on the armchair, Zanya was curled up on the other end of the couch, and most of the bikers were in the floor. It looked like Torch and Monkeywrench had clocked out during a fight for the remote. Torch's arms were across Monkeywrench's torso, and the latter's right leg was over the former. Andi's quiet laughter woke up her friend.

"Cute." He whispered.

"I need a camera." Andi said. "No, wait, Kris probably got it. Never mind."

"Yeah, I guess she did." Bryan said as his brother stirred.

"What the hell were they doing?" the dark haired teen asked.

"Remote wrestling, from the looks of it." Andi said softly. "Aren't they adorable?"

"Don't tell them that." Ry snickered.


	14. Saved by the Bell

**Disclaimer: "You're only in trouble if you get caught." --Aladdin**

**I can only say that I never expected this fic to take off the way it has. At any rate, I know you're waiting to see what kind of trouble this group can get into so I won't keep you waiting. **

**Second Chances**

Chapter fourteen: **Saved by the bell**

The middle-aged man who was the principal at the local junior high school had nearly pulled what was left of his hair out when he found out that six new students were transferring in. He ended up getting his blood pressure checked after reviewing their permanent records. Only a week into the year, and he was face to face with the little troublemakers.

"Let me make myself very clear." He said. "I know what you kids have done at your past schools, and you may have gotten away with it there, but here it will not be tolerated."

"Whatever." Vampira groaned. "Can we just recite our rights and bug outta here?"

"Not until I'm finished." The man replied. "No running in the hallways; no tacs under your classmates chairs; no skateboarding on school property; and no loitering during class!"

"Fine, fine! Can we go?" Andi said.

"The secretary has your schedules." The man said. "Now I'd better not see you in here again!"

"Sure, Principal Evans." Bryan said. "Whatever you say."

The kids got their class schedules and discussed their plans as they joined up with their other "friend".

"I think that class is on the second floor." Zanya said. She had a brunette wig and green contacts in to disguise herself. At school, she was known as Sarah Tanner.

"Why would the science lab be on the second floor?" Mitch said. "Wouldn't it be easier to blow stuff up that way?"

"I don't know, but don't do that." Sarah said. "Our P.E. teacher is completely whack. Used to be a marine or something."

"Joy unbounded." Regan quipped. "When do we have to be in class?"

"Three minutes." Sarah checked her watch. "You haven't planned anything big for today, have you?"

"Hell no." Andi said. "Not on the first day."

"First day you make a general pest of yourself." Kristen said. "Bad language, snide comments, Gothy makeup. Just let them know you don't want to be here."

"I would pull the whole 'failing on purpose' act, but my mom would kill me if I did." Andi said.

"In everything but pre-Algebra." Bryan snickered. "You can fail that without any help."

"What about you?" Andi snickered. "You've never made higher than a –B in anything!"

"Hey! You know I'm dyslexic!" Bryan shouted.

"Then stop making fun of me!" Andi said as the bell rang.

"What do I do if they ask about what I do?" Neal asked.

"Lie." Sarah said. "Tell them you like to write, or play video games or something."

"Okay." Neal said. "I will see you after!"

"Later!" Kristen shouted after him.

The first two periods weren't any problem. Third period language arts, however, drained Andi to no end. It was one thing to be launched into another grade, but another to only have one class with someone you knew. And to add insult to injury, the book was wrong.

"It is not 'it is me', Miss Creed!" the gray haired woman sighed. "The proper term is 'it is I."

"But that still doesn't tell who it is!" Andi groaned. "Is that clear enough?"

"Be that as it may, you still cannot say 'how many is'," The teacher exclaimed, "it is instead 'how many are' and so forth."

"This is pointless." Andi groaned. "Fine! I'll be the sheep of your screwy ideas of what is acceptable in society!"

"Miss Creed!" The woman shouted.

"Yes, Miss Hale?" Andi replied sweetly.

"Never mind." The woman said. "Students, please turn to page 124…"

"There she is!" Mitch shouted as Andi weaved her way through the cafeteria.

"Why don't you have anything to eat?" Bryan asked as the two-toned Southerner sat down. "I thought you'd be starving by now."

"I grabbed a snack bar before we left the base." Andi said as she produced the item in question. "I think I can make it on this stuff and maybe a few cream pies."

"Suit yourself." Kristen said. "This stuff is pretty good."

"That's because they hired a new lunch lady before the semester started." Sarah said.

"It's not the food." Andi said. "I just don't want to fight the lines. I'll survive on the water out of the sink."

"Why the sink?" Neal asked.

"Because I would shrivel up and blow away before the water fountain gave out half of what I needed." Andi said.

"Only three hours to go." Regan said. "This is going to be a long day."

"And remember what Zanya's dad told us before we left." Mitch said. "No powers in school."

"We don't need em' anyway." Bryan said.

Although Bryan Dukes may not have been an academically gifted boy, his record on the track was very good. Powers aside, he had endurance, stamina, and really long legs, which gave him a really great rate of speed when it came to running laps. The only problem was that while he was using his legs, his arms decided to wave about. Halfway around his third lap, one of the other kids zoomed by him on the left, but only one. The other guy coming behind him got hit in the face.

"Sorry!" Bryan shouted as he continued on. After he finished his run, he got to play basketball. Again, the arms race. Run, yes; dribble, no.

"I'm open!"

Whack!

"Sorry, Coach!"

Maybe passing is a no too.

At nearly four that afternoon, the kids got back off of the school bus and trudged inside the base.

"Since I didn't get any death threats from the principal, I take it you are all going tomorrow." Zartan said.

"There's no taking." Regan said. "You're going to make us go."

"After the week is over, you'll change your mind." Andi said. "No one's tolerated us for that long."

"We'll see about that." Zartan said as he walked back out of the room.

"I still can't believe they gave us homework." Mitch sighed.

"Unless we start now, it won't get done." Andi said. "Now get to it!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Bryan saluted.

"Shut up." Andi growled as she dug her notebook out of her backpack.

**Again I beg for suggestions. (note coffee tin is back.) I'm really running on empty now, and I need the help of you readers. So send in your reviews and let me know what you think! **


	15. Mission: Trouble

**Second Chances**

Chapter Fifteen:** Mission: Trouble**

"It's not my fault that you're a prick!" Regan protested from down the hall. It was somewhere between ten-thirty and eleven on Friday, and Andi and Bryan were walking to their next class when they heard the uproar.

"What is she doing?" Andi groaned. She and Bryan ran to the scene, where Regan was yelling at another girl.

"Excuse me!" The older brunette said. "I didn't realize that we were starting a special- needs class."

"Take that back!" Regan shouted.

"What's going on here?" Andi asked as she walked into the fighting circle.

"She bumped into me!" Regan said.

"What does it matter to you, freak!" The older girl asked.

"Freak?" Andi blinked. Although she had been given contact to make her eyes look normal, she had still been labeled "Godzilla" because of her height. The two-toned hair didn't help either, but there was no way she was going to change her hair.

"Yeah." The other asked. "There's no other word for what you are."

"Is that the best you've got?" Andi laughed. After dealing with eight other schools, freak was pretty low on the bad names scale. "Please! I've heard better off of pre-scholars!"

"What are you doing?" Sarah hissed.

"Don't go in there." Bryan said.

"She's going to blow our cover if she keeps this up!" Sarah groaned.

"Not again!" Mitch groaned. "How did this start?"

"At first it was just Reg, but then Andi jumped in." Ry explained.

"Who is she?" Mitch asked.

"I think her name is Kayla, but I could be wrong." Sarah said.

"Ow! How dare you throw a punch at me, you jerk!" "Kayla" shouted.

"Apologize!" Andi shouted back.

"Andi! You didn't have to do that!" Regan shrieked.

"What is all of this about?" A teacher asked as he walked through the crowd.

"That Freak just hit me!" Kayla shouted.

"Take it easy, Miss DiAngelo." The teacher said. "You! What have you to say for yourself?"

"She had it commin'." Andi replied.

"Don't!" Regan groaned.

"That's it, to the office with you!" The teacher pointed from Andi to the general direction of the office.

Andi walked silently, thinking of what retort she would give the grumpy man this time. Since their first day on Monday, she had been in the office three times, and had been given detention for Wednesday only. Ry had been in once, with no detention, and the others had just managed to get the teachers angry, at best. When she walked in, the secretary sighed.

"Miss Creed, what on earth is it this time?" She asked.

"Fight." Andi said simply.

"Principal Evans, Miss Creed is back again." The older woman groaned.

"Creed!" Principal Evans shouted.

"Aye, the dictator's back." Andi quipped.

"Where do I start?" The man shouted. "What is it this time."

"I was defending a friend." Andi said. "Some kid named Kayla DiAngelo, she wouldn't apologize, so I gave her some incentive."

"That's it!" Principal Evans sighed. "I'm putting a call in to your parents!"

"Good luck catching both of them." Andi said.

"What?" Evans said. "You don't want me to tell your mother what a well-behaved daughter she raised?"

"Mom's not a problem," Andi said, "but if you can find my Dad, tell him I joined the cheerleading squad."

"Funny." Evans said. "Well, I have your mother's number here."

"Go ahead." Andi snickered.

Principal Evans dialed the phone number and let it ring twice. "There's no one home."

"That's because she's at work, wiseass." Andi said. "Try the work number."

"You have detention for a week as soon as I get your mother on the line!" Principal Evans growled as he dialed more numbers. "Hello, madam, is this Miss Darkholme? What? What do you mean I need an appointment? No I don't want to call a child in sick! My name is Principal Ronald Evans and I am calling about Miss Darkholme's daughter. Yes, I'll wait."

Andi snickered as she listened to the monologue. It wasn't hard for her to divine the other end of the conversation.

"Yes, is this Principal Darkholme?" Evans asked. "I am Ronald Evans, the principal of Banes Middle School. Your daughter just transferred here. This time? Oh, this time she's hit a fellow student. No, just one week."

Andi winced. This wasn't going well at all.

"She wants to speak to you." Principal Evans said, but he didn't have to. Andi heard her mother loud and clear.

"Hey, Mom." Andi started.

"Andrea, what have you started this time?" "Mom" groaned on the other end of the line.

"I didn't start it, I just finished it." Andi replied.

"Did she hit you first?" Mom asked.

"No, but she ran right into Regan and wouldn't…"

"How could you just jump into a fight like this?"

"She deserved it!"

"I don't care if she deserved it or not you can't just go around hitting other people!"

"Dad does!"

"That is not the point! That temper of yours is out of control!"

"Oh and you're one to talk!"

"And how many fights does this make this week?"

"Just two."

"Added to what? Foul language, arguing with teachers? You had better not be trying that flunking business again!"

"I'm not flunking. I've been kicked up a grade and I've only gotten detention once, not counting this."

"And all in the span of five days! Andrea, do you have any idea how bad this reflects on me?"

"Oh, so it's about you."

"Don't give me that tone!"

"Watch me!"

"You are grounded for two week, young lady!"

"For what?"

"Think! I'm calling your supervisor!"

"Don't do that!" Andi groaned.

"Watch." The older woman growled. "Goodbye!"

"Bye!" Andi shouted.

CLICK!

"Arrrrrrrrrggggggggggg!" Andi growled as she slammed the receiver down.

"I've changed my mind." Principal Evans said. "In school suspension, all next week."

"Whatever." Andi grumbled.

By the time she got off of the bus, Zartan was waiting in the front yard.

"What was the call I got this afternoon about a fight?" he asked.

"A call about a fight." Andi shrugged.

"Don't play stupid with me, Atlantis. I know you started this one!" Zartan replied. "If it weren't for the mission you just got assigned, I would have you locked upstairs for a week."

"What mission?" Andi blinked.

"We have a mission?" Neal asked.

"Basic Reconnaissance." Zartan said. "You're leaving as soon as you get changed."

"Where?" Andi asked.

"Boston." Zartan said. "Now move!"

"Fine!" Andi growled as she trudged up the stairs.


	16. Look who's Talking

**Disclaimer: Of course I believe freedom of speech; I just wish that some people would take their opinions to someone who cares.**

**The kids are on their first mission with Cobra. I have this chapter and the next one covered as far as ideas, but if you readers want this ride to continue, I really need to know what you want to see! Please hit the leetle purple button at ze bottom of your screen!**

**Second Chances**

**Chapter sixteen: Look who's talking**

Andi let out an angry sigh as the jet made a descent. Not only was she now grounded and doing in-school for the next two weeks, but their mission was to the frikkin' Canadian border in Maine. Normally, border recon wouldn't be bad; but normally it wasn't twenty degrees Farenheight either.

"So we're stuck in some loon's office building screening phone calls." She asked.

"No." Zartan said. "You're going into an office building to ensure that no one is doing what they shouldn't."

"Such as cutting deals with another agency?" Regan guessed.

"Exactly." Zartan said. "If the phrase 'G.I. Joe' comes up, storm the place."

"Aren't they our people?" Neal asked.

"They are contacts, not actual troops." Zartan said. "The Crimson Guard deals with this company constantly. If they are dealing behind our backs, it is a weak link."

"So we might actually get to some action here, huh." Bryan said. "Cool."

"Your cover will be as a repair company." Zartan said.

"Looks like we get to dress up right nice, too!" Andi quipped.

"Computer repair." Zartan said. "I will be there too, but for the most part this will be your show."

"Looks like this building has three floors and a basement." Kristen said. "We can divide and conquer. We should be okay if we each tap a line on one of the levels."

"Sounds complicated." Mitch said. "Where am I?"

"You can have the basement." Andi said. "Bryan will be there too. Since it looks like mostly meeting space, Neal can take floor three with Kristen supervising."

"I like floor two." Regan said. "Mostly individual offices and a break-room."

"First floor monitor needs to be someone who can watch who's coming in and out of the front door." Andi said. "Who are we looking for?"

"I'll take the door." Zartan said. "You go with Lady Mastermind on the second floor."

"Okay." Andi said. "Let's get moving!"

0.o.0.o.0

After a near incident with the electrical system (Mitch tripped a breaker), everyone had settled in to their place. The C.E.O.'s office, as well as those of some high-ranking company officials, was on the top level, so logically, it was where the team had set up shop. Well, most of the team. Two of them had found a vacated office space to listen in through the intercom.

"Do you hear anything yet?" Mitch asked.

"For the umpteenth time, no!" Regan hissed. "Nothing yet."

"How's the weather up there?" Mitch asked through the communicator.

"Nothing much." Neal said. "At least not here. They keep talking about some big meeting though."

"They say with who?" Mitch asked.

"No." Neal said. "Of course, they may know that we are here."

"I doubt it." Regan said. "The guys here wouldn't be telling those horrid jokes in the break-room if they did."

"Whoa!" Kristen was heard shouting through the com. "I think I just go a hit!"

"What is it?" Andi asked. She was on the same floor as the teen vampire.

"Someone's just gotten a call from an Army General." Kristen said. "I think he said his name was Flagg."

"Did you hear that, Boss?" Andi asked.

"Yes." Zartan said. "This is serious indeed."

"They're going on about a meeting." Kristen said. "I think Flagg is sending someone here."

"Or coming himself." Regan reported in. "I just got in on a call from some secretary saying that he was coming sometime for a meeting with the C.E.O."

"At ten o'clock tomorrow." Kristen said. "Or so this memo says."

"Excellent work." Zartan said. "We can take out two birds with one stone."

"Do we move in?" Andi asked.

"Negative." Zartan said. "We find a place to stay for the night, and strike in the morning."

"All right." Andi said. "Pack it up, people!"

0.o.0.o.0

"This certainly was bold." General Hawk, commander of the U.S.'s elite defense unit known as G.I. JOE, said with concern to another General named Flagg. "Cobra probably already knows about this."

"Nonsense!" General Flagg said. "How could they? We've kept our talks with them very private."

"I think you forgot about Zartan or the numerous other spies that Cobra has at its disposal." General Hawk sighed. "If they've caught on to us, not only will the employees of Chronotech be killed or injured, but we'll catch the media heat from whatever they do because we were involved with a terrorist supporter."

"Chronotech hasn't done anything illegal." Flagg said. "At least not since they kicked out their last chief executive, but that's another story."

"And whose saying that the older employees still aren't chummy with the snakes?" Hawk said. "I still think someone else should go."

"I suppose you're right." Flagg said. "But they are expecting me."

"Do they know what you look like?" Hawk asked.

"No." Flagg said. "I suppose we can send one of the Joes in my stead."

"Great." Hawk said. "I will assign someone and send him inside in the morning. That way if Cobra has caught on, we'll have someone experienced in there. No offense."

"None taken." Flagg said. "Someone else should be there. Maybe a backup team to wait in the lobby or something?"

"I'll see what I can do." Hawk said.

"Good." Flagg said. "Dismissed!"

General Hawk saluted and walked out. Once outside, he made a call to the base. "Duke, I have a job for you tomorrow."

"What can I do?" the other Joe replied.

"Let's just say that it's a costume party." Hawk said.


	17. Let's Blow Something Up

**Second Chances**

Chapter Seventeen: **Let's blow something up!**

"I know you need help, but do I have to wear this?" Duke asked. He was in a general's uniform.

"It's the only way." General Hawk said. "At least if Cobra captures you and Scarlet, you two will be able to get out."

"Why couldn't you send Cover Girl for this?" Scarlet asked. She was wearing a gray pantsuit and her hair was pulled back in a clip.

"Because if Cobra has bugged the place, they will have spies there." Hawk said. "You can take them out with less attention."

"Okay." Scarlet nodded. "Let's just get this over with.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"The both of you have cameras on you." Zartan said. His disguise of the day was a low-ranking worker. "Atlantis, your glasses are wired and the link is your necklace. Lady Mastermind, your broach is the camera and the link, so be careful not to hit it against anything."

"Understood." Lady Mastermind nodded. She was sporting a straight white skirt and blazer with a red blouse. "When we see them, we'll call."

"Why am I going in?" Atlantis asked. She was wearing a white sleeveless top, black slacks, and a black three-quarter length cropped jacket. "Shouldn't Zarana or Zanya be in there instead?"

"Because someone has to keep an eye on the Dreadnoks while we're gone." Zartan said.

"In other words, Zanya's getting team handling lessons." Chaos translated.

"The rest of you will be in the office we used yesterday keeping an eye on the cameras." Zartan said. "And girls, remember to turn your image projectors on." The girls hit a button on the watches that they were wearing and they suddenly appeared decades older.

"No sweat." Vampira said. "Just be sure to get out as soon as you tell me to hit the detonator."

"We will." Lady Mastermind said. "Don't worry."

"Then let's go." Zartan smirked.

When Duke and Scarlet walked into Chronotech's front doors, they were spotted my more than just the receptionist.

"Lady M, they're heading your way." Golem said through the com- link.

"Got it." Regan replied. In a few moments, the elevator doors on the third floor opened and Duke walked right up to her. "Yes sir, may I help you?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Harding." Duke said. "Which way to his office?"

"Down that hallway, second door on the left." Lady Mastermind said. Duke nodded and he and Scarlet walked down the hallway.

"Hello." Atlantis said as Duke and Scarlet walked in. "Who are you?"

"I'm General Flagg." Duke said. "This is my secretary, Scarlet. We have an appointment with Mr. Harding."

"Yes." Atlantis replied. "Mister Harding is expecting you, go right in." Duke and Scarlet walked inside and shut the door. After they had left, Atlantis hit the com link in her necklace. "They're inside."

"Good." Zartan replied. "I'll be there soon. Be prepared to do some improvising."

"I can't tell you how thankful I am that the Army is helping us get this mess with Extensive Enterprises untangled." Mr. Harding said to who he thought to be General Flagg. "I haven't done anything illegal. I didn't even know about this mess until I looked at the books and went through some research on the internet."

"We understand, son." Duke said. "We're glad you came forward. You won't need to worry about any charges, we just need to take a few statements after this is over."

"Thank you all the same." Mr. Harding said. "Now, I have the books here, and this is where I noticed that things weren't adding up to…"

"Mr. Harding, Mr. Granger wants to see you." The secretary said.

"I'm in a meeting, Martha." Harding said. "Tell him to…"

"You can't go in there!" The brunette secretary shouted as a man with dark hair and glasses charged into the office.

"Mr. Granger, what on earth?" Harding started.

"I demand that you come with me." Granger shouted.

"I can't just leave!" Harding said.

"I don't think you thought about this!" Granger shouted as he pulled out a gun.

"Stand down!" Duke shouted. He grabbed the other man from behind, but only ripped off the mask.

"Zartan." Scarlet hissed.

"Yes." Zartan replied. "But I regret that I cannot stay longer."

"Stand down, General." The secretary shouted as she pointed a revolver at Duke.

"Martha, what is all this…" Harding trailed off as the woman hit a button on her watch and transformed into a young girl with blonde and black hair.

"The name is Atlantis, Mr. Harding." The girl said. "And your time here is up."

Scarlet tried to tackle the girl, but was stopped in her tracks. She looked up to see the blond secretary from the elevator grinning as she sent a psychic bolt out. "They have a telepath!" She exclaimed.

"What?" Duke exclaimed. At this time, he loosened his grip on Zartan enough for the other man to push him aside. With a clear shot, Atlantis fired her weapon and hit the CEO in the chest.

"We have what we came for." Zartan said, glancing down at Duke. "Let's go. As soon as we're in the elevator, tell Vampira to blow the place."

"Don't worry." Lady Mastermind said. "I just did."

"Good." Zartan said. "Let's move." The trio ran down the corridor and were in the elevator before the other employees came to investigate the gunshot.

"We have to get these civilians out of here before the place explodes." Duke said. One of the employees ran and hit a fire alarm.

"That works." Scarlet said. "Now all of you, get to the stairs, hurry!"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

After the fire alarm was turned on, the other people in the building bean to flood out into the street. Right where the Joes had their vehicles parked.

"Yeesh." Falcon said as people rushed past. "They must be in real trouble." Just as he said that, the second floor of he building blew apart.

"I'd say so." Roadblock shouted as Duke and Scarlet made their way out.

"What happened in there?" General Hawk asked. "Where's Harding?"

"That kid killed him." Scarlet said.

"Kid?" Falcon blinked. "What kid? I just heard that Zartan was there."

"They left before we did." Duke said. "We were more focused on the civilians to bother."

"I understand." Hawk said. "But when we get back, tell me everything that went on in there!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Rogue scholar walks out and sees several characters lying around. **

**Rs: What's the deal? Why are you all here?**

Scott: We want you to put us in this fic!

Ryder: Or get back to work on ours, whatever works!

**Rs: I told you already, this fic is not about the X-geeks or the actual Misfits! Ask Toad!**

Scott: Then why is Mystique in this one?

**Rs: Who told you about that?**

Ryder: Jamie.

**Rs: Bad midget! Urg! Anyway, Ryder, I'll get back to Looking Glass as soon as Chibi updates! I promise!**

Scott: What about me?

**Rs: I need to make Ryder's stories on parallel before I start again. And maybe if you'd stop pestering me, you'll get a spot in another fic.**

Scott: Fine! I'll go! But I'll be back!

**Rs: Ryder, what is he doing dressed as a scarecrow?**

Ryder: That was my sister and Amber's idea. Isn't it appropriate?

**Rs: Okay, from now on, no turning people into straw stuffed figures. Now if you readers will excuse me, this is all I can give you today. Sorry, but I have a minor conflict to settle between my muses. Anyway, please review!**


	18. To Tell the Truth

**Disclaimer: Two of the biggest mistakes a person can make are to underestimate his opponent and to start on a planned monologue. **

**Now the mission's over, let's take a look at the aftermath.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Eighteen:** To tell the truth**

"Now, would you mind explaining just what went wrong in there?" General Hawk asked when the team was back at the Pit.

"I swear, General, I don't know how we didn't see it coming!" Duke said.

"We did." Hawk said. "That's why we sent you in and not Flagg."

"Still, it was embarrassing to get our asses handed to us by a couple of kids."

"I thought Zartan was there." Hawk asked.

"He was." Scarlet answered. "I think he was testing their metal."

"You said kids." Hawk said. "How old are they?"

"No older than fourteen." Duke said. "Both girls and both mutants."

"One of them stopped me with a psychic bolt." Scarlet said. "The other one never used her powers, but she had the strangest eyes…"

"What kind of eyes?" Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Were there three of them?"

"Not like that." Scarlet said. "That would have been weird, but no. They were dark blue, but the whites were yellow."

"Can you confirm?" Hawk turned to Duke.

"I was too preoccupied with keeping Zartan from shooting." Duke sighed. "And in all of that mess, I missed the other one."

"Were these kids troops?" Hawk asked.

"No." Duke said. "I think Zartan's done some private recruiting."

"Did you get any kind of ID besides just their looks?" Hawk asked.

"Yes." Scarlet said. "The shooter called herself Atlantis."

"Hmm." Hawk frowned. "I'll make a call and see if SHIELD knows anything."

"Do we tell anyone else?" Duke said.

"Not until we know more." Hawk said. "I think that there's more to this than just some children wanting jobs."

"I am certainly glad to see that you were successful in eliminating that mole." Cobra Commander said. The high-ranking officers were in yet another meeting.

"For once it seems that those runts were actually useful." The Baroness snickered.

"You do realize that Atlantis is eye level with you." Zartan pointed out.

"Shut up!" The Baroness snapped.

"At any rate," Cobra Commander continued, "I see no reason why we shouldn't keep them on."

"They need discipline!" Destro shouted. "Those kids are out of control!"

"With some scheduled training, they will shine." Zartan said. "All that they need is a little bit of work."

"Let me take those little brats for a week or two." Major Bludd shouted. "I'll whip them into shape!"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Zartan sighed. "You can try, but I'll warn you now, those kids won't break."

"We'll see about that!" Bludd said. "They'll be begging for mercy once I get done with them!"

"Why do I get the feeling that that'll be the other way around?" Zartan groaned.

"Then it's settled." Cobra Commander said. "Major Bludd will put Shadowatch through some basic survival training for the next two weeks."

"That will have to be after they get back." Zartan said. "They still have to be in school."

"Minor technicality." The Commander said. "After school training then."

"I think you're going to regret this." Zartan said. "They aren't easy to handle."

"How hard could it be to train a group of teenagers?" Bludd asked. "They're just kids."


	19. Back to Basics

**Hello, ya'll! Well, I'm sorry for not posting for a while. Really, I had to come up with something to write. However, I've been writing a little bit ahead, which means daily updates! But I know what you're waiting for, so here's the chapter!**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Nineteen:** Back to Basics**

Andi let out a long sigh as she boarded the school bus the following Monday. She turned to her friend and shot him a glare.

"It wasn't my idea!" Bryan said. "I swear, we did everything you told us!"

"More like the Major took up Destro's complaint." Sarah said.

"What do you care?" Kristen snapped. "You're not even coming!"

"That's right." Sarah snickered. "You losers have to put up with him while I get to relax. Bludd will hand you your right arms!"

"Don't count your ducks before they break." Neal said, leaving everyone to decipher his last statement.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Mitch corrected. "And he's right, I mean we were gypsies for crying out loud!"

"And I already had my survival training." Andi said. "I think it's mainly for Regan's and your benefit, Neal."

"Fine." Regan said. "I just hope I can survive. I like the outdoors and all, but mother thought that anything that didn't have a breakfast provided was camping."

"You'll be fine." Bryan said as the bus came to a stop. "Just follow our lead."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Some twenty minutes later, the kids were lined up in the middle of the swamps. Major Bludd put on his worst evil sneer before starting his standard rant.

"You children will not be making pinecone paperweights or making baskets! You will not be engaging in sing-alongs or water-balloon tosses! You will be taking forty-mile hikes, making weapons of whatever you can find, and surviving in the wilderness with nothing but what you can catch with your own two hands! Am I clear?"

"Yes, Major Bludd!" Most of the group replied.

"Yes Major Stupid!" Three guesses who said that.

"Creed!" Bludd bellowed. "Drop and give me twenty!"

"Damn, all I have is a five." Andi snapped her hand in mock disappointment.

"Now!" Bludd ordered. This time, Andi got down on her hands and started doing push-ups. "Moving on, since Chaos is the oldest, he has earned the rank of group leader! You report to him, and he administers punishment to you fowl-ups! You have twenty minutes to stowe your gear and report back to me on the beach. Dismissed!"

"This bites." Regan grumbled as she started to assemble a tent. "Two weeks of this?"

"I'm going AWOL." Mitch said. "Anybody remember how far it was to that gas station."

"We're not going anywhere." Andi grumbled as she finished with her shelter. "I'll be damned if I let that old-timing dog have us doing his dirty laundry! We're gonna stay, and we'll drive him insane."

DAY 1

"Wyngarde! No more illusions!" Bludd shouted. In his mind, he was wearing a pink tutu.

"Sorry." Regan snickered as she made the illusion fade.

Two hours later…

"That's it!" The Major was now covered in pond scum. "The next one caught making illusions will be hanged!"

"Whatever." Andi rolled her eyes. "Can we get back to the running now?"

DAY 2

"Creed! Stop teasing the gators!"

"He's not going to like this." Chaos winced as Bludd advanced on the two-toned girl.

"I told you to…AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHGGGGG!" Bludd shouted as the reptile in question charged him and attempted to drag him down with him.

A gun shot to the brain remedied that problem. Well, the one with the gator.

DAY 3

"These are inhibitor collars." Bludd said. He had a bandage on his right leg. "You may no longer use your powers while you are here!"

"Big whoop." Chaos rolled his eyes. _It's not like we need them anyway._

DAY 4

"Vampira! Put that shirt back on this instant!" Bludd shouted as the female vamp flashed the boys that were fishing.

"You're a real stick in the mud! You know that?" She grumbled as she put her top back down.

Ten minutes later…

"These are the rules of conduct!" Bludd said. "The first one I catch breaking these rules will be running laps around the swamp."

"Look at all the rules." Neal said after the Major was out of earshot. "We will never be able to meet all of them."

"We're terrorists! With what we do, we don't need rules!" Andi groaned. "Besides, they're more like guidelines anyway!" 1

DAY 5

Tttthhhhhhhhwwwwwwwwuuuuuummmppppppp!

"Owie!" Bludd shouted as he hit the ground.

"Sorry, Major!" Mitch shouted from several feet over.

"I'm sorry too." Kristen said.

"For what?" Bludd asked.

"This!" Kristen pulled out a can of sleeping gas (only God knows where she found it) and sprayed him in the face.

"He's out." Mitch said.

"Good." Andi smirked. "Now we can check out the locals."

"With what?" Neal asked.

"His jeep, duh!" Chaos said. "Now let's bug out!"

"But what about him?" Mitch asked.

"Ry," Regan said, "Can I borrow you for a second?"

When Major Bludd finally awoke, he realized that something wasn't right. Everything in his line of sight was upside down. "I'll kill those mangy rascals!" He shouted. Unfortunately, he only attracted a bear. "No! No! Say away! Don't come any closer! As soon as I find my gun I will kill you!"

The bear, for the record, had already found the gun; and then proceeded to eat it.


	20. Bad Ideas

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty: **Not the best Idea**

Problems started when the sextet reached the car. Although they had the keys, only two could drive. One of those was only truly adept on a motorcycle, so Chaos was behind the wheel.

"I still think I should drive." Andi grumbled.

"You can't drive a stick!" Bryan argued.

"Can too!" Andi protested. "I learned from Gram- Gram same as you an' Freddy! Besides, the last time you drove anything you took out a fence and a storage shed!"

"But I met the owner's daughter, so it was worth it." Bryan reasoned.

"May I interrupt this to ask just where it is we're going?" Regan asked.

"Oh." Bryan said. "We might wanna decide that."

"What time is it?" Mitch asked.

"Clock says almost seven-thirty." Bryan said.

"Let's see." Andi said. "Zartan won't come to get us until eight fifteen, so why don't we hit a burger joint and get something to eat?"

"Perfect." Mitch said. "I'm hungry."

The gang pulled into a Dairy Queen and then scrounged around the jeep for cash.

"He must have kept his wallet in his pocket." Regan grumbled. "There's nothing here!"

"And none of us have any money." Bryan said. "I guess we just leave then?"

"You're the leader, you tell me." Andi growled as she climbed over Neal to get to the front seat.

"Let's just go back to base and say that he let us go early." Kristen said.

"They'll never buy that!" Mitch said. "We need a reason!"

"Say that he had to go to the emergency room." Regan said. "they'll believe that."

"Good thinking." Andi said. "To the base!"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

By the time the kids were back in the driveway, Zartan was standing on the front lawn waiting on them.

"Uh oh." Mitch gulped. "I think we've been found out."

"Uhm. Hey, boss." Bryan said weakly.

"Hello." Zartan replied. "Now would you mind explaining the call I got from the commander saying that Major Bludd had been strung up a tree and doused in honey?"

"He's clueless." Andi said. "Knows nothing about real survival."

"We just thought we'd teach him a lesson." Bryan said.

"And that's why you used him as bear-bait?" Zartan asked.

"And you actually expected him to last?" Kristen giggled.

"No." Zartan admitted. "But I expected you to handle the responsibilities of being agents just a little better than this! I thought the gator was bad enough, but this is too far!"

"Let me guess, Kitchen Patrol?" Andi shrugged.

"Oh no." Zartan said. "That would be too easy. I'm going split you six up and send you to the worst detail assignments on the main base!"

"Whatever." Andi sighed.

"Andi!" Regan hissed. "You'll only make it worse!"

"The rest of you go inside." Zartan said. "I need to have a chat with Atlantis."

The others obeyed and trudged inside. "What?"

"You know exactly what, girl!" Zartan said.

"You just wanted mercenaries." Andi growled. "Obedience wasn't in the job description."

"Well, we're going to work on that." Zartan said. "From now on, you are the new team leader."

"What?" Andi blinked. "Why? Shouldn't Zanya have it?'

"No." Zartan replied. "I think you would be perfect for the job."

"You're making a mistake." Andi warned.

"We'll see." Zartan said. "Go inside and wash up! We'll discuss this later!"

"Yes, sir." Andi grumbled before turning to go inside.


	21. Responsibility

**I will apologize in advance for the shortness, but I've been somewhat drained lately. **

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty-one:** Responsibility**

"This bites." Andi grumbled as she emptied a trash can into a bag. Her assigned punishment was trash detail. "I can't believe we got in trouble for this."

"Speak for yourself." Neal grumbled. He was cleaning toilets and sinks. "Didn't I tell you sometime that this was a bad idea."

"If you did, I never heard." Andi groaned, picking up another trash sack. "Besides, if you didn't want to, why did you go along with us? You could have been the good little terrorist troop and stayed behind!"

"Because I thought you knew what you were doing!" Neal shouted.

"I thought I did!" Andi said. "Until we got to Dairy-Queen. Good God! Why do you people just follow me blindly? I'm not a good group leader!"

"That is not what Bryan said." Neal cocked his head. "He said all of the crazy stunts were your idea."

"I just found the idiot that did it." Andi said. "Not that hard to do."

"It is not?"

"No, it is not. You just ask someone if they will do something, and find a really good bribe."

"It still sounds hard."

"What?" Kristen asked as she popped her head inside.

"Bribing the morons to do stupid stuff." Andi replied. "Now if you will pardon me, I have to stop by the lab next."

"I'll come with you." Kristen said. "I'm going that way anyway."

"Okay." Andi said.

The two were silent for a few minutes before the vamp spoke. "So, Zartan elected you to be our team leader, huh?"

"Who told you?" Andi asked.

"Zanya." Kristen said. "But seriously, why did you get picked?"

"I tried to tell him he'd regret it." Andi sighed. "But he wouldn't listen. I even tried to keep Ry in charge, but no dice."

"I hate to break it to you, but Ry sucks as a leader." Kris replied. "Remember that story of the blind leading the blind?"

"I know." Andi said. "but I'm not that much better. I don't take orders, I know, but that doesn't mean that I can give them!"

"Chill out!" The raven haired girl exclaimed. "I never said you didn't have nerve! If anything, you have too much!"

"I'd feel better if you were in charge." Andi admitted. "You would be a great team leader!"

"Yeah, a team leader who can't go into sunlight and has a habit of draining people once a week." Kristen quipped. "Not that I wouldn't like to rule the world, but it would be beyond repair by the time I got it."

"But I don't wanna rule the world." Andi sighed as they reached the lab. "I don't even want the team!"

"Well, you'd better start figuring out what you do want." Kristen said. "Those guys are completely clueless about this stuff! They'd blow this place up in a heartbeat if no one were watching! And than there's Regan. She still has that self-confidence problem. She just can't stand up and fight when she's alone!"

"I know that!" Andi snapped. "Let me think it over."

"I don't think you have that option!" Kristen growled. "Like it or not, you are the one in charge here! If you don't take the lead, no one will!"

"What have I gotten myself into?" Andi moaned as she trudged into the lab to empty the wastebaskets.


	22. Behind the Eyes

**Once again, this will be a fairly short chapter. It will also be fairly dark and serious; mainly because I'm running low on ideas. If you want to see something happen, please send me suggestions! **

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty- two:** Behind the Eyes**

"I think I have now seen every garbage reciprocal on this base." Andi quipped as she threw the last of the garbage bags into a dumpster outside the base. "Now I only have another thirteen days to go."

"You have it easy!" Bryan grumbled as he dragged a bio-degradable bin over. "I have kitchen clean-up with a toothbrush!"

"Where's Mitch at?" Andi asked. "I passed Regan scrubbing tiles in the rec-room and I know where the others went except for your brother."

"He has kennel- duty." Bryan winced. "He's assigned the lab."

Andi shuddered before speaking. "So, see anything interesting today?"

"Just confirming my belief that no Yankee should attempt to make a steak without learnin' from the Southerners."

"Ry, technically I'm Canadian."

"I know, but you grew up in the South, so it counts." Bryan giggled then paused. "Ann, I know that you don't like to talk about feelings and stuff, but I know somethin's eatin' at ya, and I'll listen if ya wanna let go."

"I'm fine!" Andi shouted. "Jeeze, why does everyone think that there's something wrong with me?"

"You've just been sorta off lately." Ry said. "And I known you for long enough to know when you're off."

"I know." Andi sighed. "It's just.."

"What?" Bryan asked. "The whole command thing?"

"Yes." Andi answered. "Why can't you do it? I mean, you're the oldest and everyone likes you!"

"But you're smart!" Bryan said. "I wish I could be smart."

"I wish I could be invisible." Andi said. "Apparently, people hate a competent social reject more than a stupid one. I just want to be left alone, you know?"

"Who's been hasslin' you?" Bryan asked. "We can help!"

"With the entire faculty and half the students?" Andi raised an eyebrow. "No thanks."

"Just don't take it too hard." Bryan said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "See ya at home."

"See ya." Andi sighed as the taller boy walked away.

Andi banged her head against the floor as she tried to finish her homework. _Who the hell gives eight graders algebra problems anyway!_ She grumbled mentally. "Let's see, 2x multiplied by four…that's easy enough." She continued talking through the rest of her math sheet. The pattern changed when she shifted over to her history homework.

"Why do my teachers hate me?"

"It couldn't be your sparkling wit or demon temper, could it?" A voice called. Andi looked around, but saw no one.

"Zanya, will you knock it off?"

"Zanya's in the next room." The voice said. "I'm in your mind."

"I see." Andi said. "Okay, I'm going back to work now…"

"Why don't you just not do it?" The voice said. "You'll just fail anyway."

"That's not true." Andi hissed. "I can pass this class."

"In about ten years." The voice said.

"Oh leave her alone." Another voice shouted. "We all have to share this mind, you know!"

"But it doesn't mean that we have to speak." The first one shouted. "Go away!"

"Will you—wherever and whatever you are—just leave me alone?" Andi hissed.

"No can do." The first said. "I'm enjoying this."

"Listen to her!" the second voice shouted. "Don't set her off! She could end us forever!"

"If she has the nerve!" the first laughed. "I don't think she can!"

"Stop!" Andi growled. She glanced on her bed and saw her pocket knife lying there. Without thinking, she opened the blade and slashed her arm.

"Well, maybe you could after all." The first voice said. "Fine, I'll leave. For now."

"And don't come back." Andi hissed as the presence receded from her mind. That's when she noticed the blood. There wasn't much, but it was noticeable enough for her to want to hide it.

She grabbed a light jacket and put it on to keep anyone from asking questions at dinner.

"Why do you have the jacket on?" Zarana asked when Andi came down.

"I got chilly." Andi covered.

"All right…" Zarana gave the girl a questioning look "well, go find a seat."

"Okay." Andi replied as she walked into the kitchen. No one else seemed to notice that night. If they had, they would have been able to stop what would unfold over the next several months.


	23. A Lucky Break

**Disclaimer: "They're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone." (1)**

**I finally got enough for a long chapter. Now would someone besides Red Witch review this?**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty-three:** A Lucky Break**

After school and training on Wednesday, the kids trudged into the base and collapsed on whatever surface they could find. However, for some, rest would be short lived. It all started when the phone rang.

"I got it!" Torch shouted.

"Glad someone did." Regan said. "I don't think I can move."

"I have never seen so much vomit in my life." Andi shuddered. "What the hell did the cooks do to the special?"

"I think someone dumped ipecac syrup into it by mistake." Bryan said.

"Whatever they did, it sure was a mess." Mitch said.

"Creed! Phone!" Torch shouted, waving the receiver around.

"That's you." Bryan said to the blue eyed girl.

"I know." Andi grumbled. She got up off of the couch and walked into the kitchen.

"Here." Torch shoved her the phone and took off.

"Thanks a lot, dude!" She shouted before answering. "Hello? Who is it?"

"Hey, Andi." A male voice replied. "It's Dan. I was just calling to remind you about Con's birthday on Friday." (2)

"Con's birthday?" Andi thought. "Oh Shit!"

"Forgot?" Dan asked.

"Oh man, I feel so stupid!" she groaned.

"Don't sweat it. We didn't expect you to remember everyone's birthday after hearing those dates once." Dan laughed. "That's why I'm calling."

"Aka, Dad told you to call so I would be there." Andi said.

"Sorta." Dan said. "So, can you make it?"

"I'm under house arrest." Andi grumbled. "Plus school and clean-up duty on main base. I'd have to call and ask my Mom."

"I already called her." Dan said.

"You did?" Andi blinked.

"How do you think I got the number?" Dan asked. "She said that since Dad would be here to watch ya, you could come."

"Oh." Andi said. "I'll have to talk to my boss."

"Well, Call me back." Dan said. "Just so I can tell Beck how much food to make."

"You're actually going to throw Dr. Serious a surprise party?" Andi asked.

"It's the only way to get him to chill besides sneaking tequila into his drink." Dan chuckled. "But I'll let you go."

"Okay." Andi replied. "Talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye." Andi said as the caller hung up.

"Why on earth would you want to go to Montana?" Zartan asked.

"It's my brother's birthday on Friday." Andi said. "Apparently my other brother called my mother and she said that as long as Dad was there, I could go, so can I leave tomorrow?"

"Leave?" Zanya said as she walked by. "Aren't you grounded?"

"I have permission." Andi answered. "At least from my parents."

"Don't you have Drama practice?" Zartan asked his daughter.

"But this is more fun." Zanya replied.

"Your aunt will take you, now go." Zartan said.

"Aw man!" Zanya wined. "I never get in on the really good fights!"

Andi waited until the older girl was out of earshot before speaking again. "So, have you made up your mind?"

"I don't like you missing two days of school." Zartan frowned. "Especially with the detention you earned last week."

"But I finished that term." Andi said. "Besides, it's just half the day on Thursday and all of Friday."

"Plane tickets are expensive."

"I'm getting paid, remember? I was saving for a new exhaust pipe, but this is more important."

"And the trip back?"

"I book a flight for Saturday morning." Andi said. "Can I go, please?"

Zartan sighed. "I suppose…"

"Thank you!" Andi smirked.

"But the next time, don't expect quite as big a favor." Zartan finished.

"I know." Andi said. "I won't.

"Fine." Zartan said. "Go."

"Thank you!" Andi grinned as she ran out.

"Kids." Zartan shook his head and sighed.

"Can I come?" Bryan asked.

"Yeah, we've never met your family!" Mitch said. "Heard of, yes, but never met."

"I can't take any of you with me!" Andi exclaimed. "I still have to get Con a gift when I get there plus the plane tickets for both trips."

"Besides, I have to go to a big school recital my sister's in." Kristen said. "Not like I could make it."

"Man, with you two gone, it'll feel like a ghost town here!" Bryan wined.

"You'll have Clover to keep you company." Andi said. "Besides, didn't you nuts get invited to a family reunion?"

"But that's two weeks away!" Bryan groaned. "I wanna go with you!"

"I'm sorry, but you can't." Andi said. "If I'm not completely broke from the trip, I'll bring you back a postcard or something."

"Really?" Mitch asked.

"You mean it?" Bryan asked.

"Sure." Andi said. "I gotta go start packing. See you later."

"Okay!" Bryan cheered up.

"So, Ann, are you going to tell Con or try to hide those gashes on your arms?" Kristen asked as the girls walked upstairs.

"What are you talking about?" Andi faked.

"Don't lie to me." Kristen said. "I know the smell of fresh blood, and it was all over you last night! Now what's so bad that you're cutting yourself?"

"It's none of your business!" Andi hissed.

"If you don't stop it will be my business, because I don't want to see them carry my friend away in a body bag!"

"It's not like that!" Andi retorted.

"Then what?" the raven-haired vampire asked. "Memories? Nightmares?"

"Just leave me alone, Kris!" Andi growled.

"Or would you like me to tell the adults?" Kristen asked.

"No!" Andi hissed. "They'd throw me in the loony bin!"

"Tell me and maybe I'll keep quiet." Kristen said.

"I hate you!" the two-toned hydrokinetic growled.

"I thought we were best friends?" Kristen asked.

"You will always be my friend, Kris." Andi smirked. "You know too much!"

"So now will you tell me what's wrong?" Kristen asked. Andi grabbed her and dragged her into a room.

"Do you remember when you first got your powers? How there was that other presence in your mind fighting for control?" Andi asked.

"It never left." Kristen said. "Why? Are you bi-polar or something?"

"Something." Andi said. "I've been hearing these voices lately, when no one's around. They won't leave me alone."

"Okay, my best friend is a schizophrenic in need of psychological help." Kristen said. "You need to tell someone."

"No!" Andi said. "I have it under control!"

"And what happens when you don't?" Kris asked. "I remember what it was like after we got out of that lab. Do you know how scared I was that my best friend would kill herself and leave me alone?"

"It won't come to that." Andi said.

"How do you know?" Kris asked. "I mean, the last time you just snapped!"

"There are too many people in this house for me to try that again!" Andi said. "I'll be fine! Just do me a favor."

"What?" Kris asked.

"You can't tell anyone." Andi said. "Not even Ry."

"But…"

"No buts!" Andi said. "I'll tell them someday, after I get this thing beat, but please, I don't want them to overreact!"

Kristen sighed and looked at the floor. "Fine." She said, finally meeting her friend's gaze. "I'll keep quiet. Just promise you'll tell me if it gets to be too much."

"It won't be." Andi said. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"Okay." Kristen said. "I guess I'll just let you pack."

"Thanks." Andi replied. She walked over to her room and shut the door behind her as she started to pack.

Kristen listened from the doorway to the room she shared with Regan. "I hope you know what you're doing." She sighed. "Cause if something goes wrong, there may not be a next time to correct it."

(**1) Ten author points to whoever guesses this song.**

**(2) It's AU, remember? Besides, do any of you honestly think that Greydon was Sabertooth's _only _offspring?**


	24. A Father Daughter Outing

**Disclaimer: "Pascal, let's go to Charleston Harbor and blow something up." --Kelsey Grammar (Down Periscope)**

**I know that this chapter is late getting here, but I do hope it is worth the wait. Just a bit of nonsense to lighten the mood.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty-four: **A Father- Daughter Outing**

"He'd better have remembered to pick me up." Andi grumbled as she waited on the sidewalk in front of the airport. "Because If he doesn't, I will kill him!" It was about then that an old Chevy pickup drove up to the curb. The driver—a man in his mid forties with long blond hair—opened his door and stepped out.

"Took you long enough, Dad" Andi grumbled to him.

"Sorry, Kid." He replied in his usually gruff voice. "Got pin-holed by the boss to do some last-minute work. Is that all you packed?" he gestured to the large backpack she had on the ground beside her.

"I'm staying for two nights, Dad." Andi said. "All I need are some shirts, another pair of underthings, and something to sleep in. Plus my survival kit."

Her dad bent over to pick up the bag, and nearly lost his balance trying to lift it. "Jesus, Stormy, what all else did you pack in your survival kit?" he growled.

"I don't make it a habit to unpack it." Andi protested.

"That explains a lot." Her father grumbled as he tossed the backpack into the bed of the truck. "Jump in. We need to make a stop on the way out to your brother's."

"You forgot to get him something too, didn't you?" Andi asked as he started the truck.

"Say anything and ye'll be under room-arrest here!" Dad growled.

"Fine! I'll keep quiet!" Andi waved her hands. "Did you think I'd really…"

"Yes." Dad cut her off.

After stopping at some gift shop, the duo drove for the next two hours out to where Connor lived.

"This trip seemed shorter than usual." Dad commented.

"I never knew that this truck could go past 55." Andi quipped. Dad glared at her.

"This truck got you and ye'r momma to the hospital, didn't it?"

"And how old was it then?" Andi asked.

"Don't push it, Stormy."

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"No. Just deal with it."

"I hate you, tuna-breath!"

"Love ya too, Stormy!"

"Did you have to name me after a horse?"

"It's not your name. Raven would have skinned me alive if I'd done that!"

"Wonder she didn't anyway!"

"I thought you liked horses?"

"That doesn't mean that you can pull my nickname from the name of one in a book!" **(1)**

"And just how many books did you bring with you?"

"Just my math and language books. It's not like I brought a novel with me!"

"Fine!" Dad groaned. "You win this one! Just don't get too cocky!"

"Take your own advice!" Andi countered. "Wait, isn't that the exit?"

"We ain't going to Con's." Dad said. "It's a surprise party. We're staying in the closest motel we can find."

"You still should get off of the highway." Andi pointed out.

"Oh, hush!"

Eventually, the truck came to a stop in a Motel 6 parking lot, where it stayed until the next morning. Not long after they stopped, a beat-up grey bronco drove into the parking place next to the truck.

"Dan's here!" Andi shouted as she jumped over the air conditioner in front of the window to get out of the door.

"And to think she used to duck behind the sofa." Sabertooth commented. He got up off of the bed and walked out the door. "At least you two can say 'Hi' now."

"It just took squirt a while to warm up, that's all." Dan, a man with thick brown hair and brown eyes, said in return, ruffing up the younger girl's hair as he did. "Fancy meeting you here."

"I don't do fancy." Andi growled, pushing her half-brother's arm off of her head.

"Which is why we love you so much!" Dan said as he shoved her back. "Anybody hear from Kyle? He was supposed to be here." **(2)**

"Watch him show up tomorrow." Andi groaned. "No, wait, watch him show up half wasted!"

"Uh, Stormy, he's got the whole healing factor thing like the rest of us." Dan said. "He can't get wasted.

"I didn't say completely wasted, I said half wasted." Andi growled. "Don't you think I know the difference?"

"You're twelve!" Dan said. "There are a whole lot of things you shouldn't know!"

"Don't you even start with me about my life!" Andi shouted.

"Okay, you two, break it up!" Sabertooth shouted. The two looked at each other and stopped shoving the other one back and forth. "Whether or not Kyle gets his ass down here is his problem, not yours!"

"Whatever!" Andi grumbled.

"Watch it, Stormy." Sabertooth growled. "You, inside! Daniel, get in your own room!"

"Yes, sir." Dan said as he pulled his bag out of his car and walked into the room next door.

"You just don't wanna admit that I'm right." Andi commented.

"Stormy, you keep on being a wiseass and I'll lock you in to get aquainted with your homework while I go bring back dinner."

"You wouldn't even…"

"Keep pushin' like ye been doin' and you'll find out!" Sabertooth roared. "Now get back inside the damn room!"

Andi walked back in while muttering a few choice words under her breath.

"And don't think I didn't hear that!" Sabertooth shouted.

**(1) Considering he calls Mystique 'Misty', and that if my estimation of Greydon's age in this timeline is right, he (and the other boys, excluding Kyle) would have been in about first or second grade when Andi was born. Connor is about two years older than Greydon, so he would have read that book by then.**

**(2) The Kyle here is from the comics. Although the last names are different, Wildchild's powers are so close to Sabertooth's that I'm going to include him in with this group.**


	25. Blood and Torture

**Disclaimer: Scars are temporary, Pride is forever. **

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty-five: **Blood and Torture**

One of the things that Sabertooth admired, but never quite understood, about his daughter was her inability to sleep until she had finished a project. As it were, he'd had to throw one of the pillows at her at three thirty in the morning to tell her to stop reading and go to sleep. Not doing homework, that had been finished many hours ago, but just reading a book for simple pleasure. And it didn't even have pictures.

It was now nine o'clock in the morning however, and she needed to wake up before she slept through the free breakfast in the lobby. The only good news was that she wasn't as inclined to roll off of the bed as her brothers tended to do.

THUMP.

"WTF?" Andi grumbled as she picked herself up off of the floor. "What the hell was that for?"

"To get you up." He replied. "Now go get dressed before the breakfast bar closes."

"Dictator." Andi growled.

"Just get some real clothes on." Sabertooth groaned. Andi grabbed a fresh t-shirt and the pants she'd worn the night before and trudged into the bathroom.

After breakfast, there were over four hours to kill before the party, so the two drove around town. Currently, the duo was terrorizing a sales clerk at the local store.

"I don't know anyone by the name of Izzy A. Dedmon!" The manager shouted.

"He said he worked here." Andi said. "I need to talk to him."

"Maybe he works at another of our stores?" The manager said.

"But I've tried three as it is." Andi groaned. "he has to be here!"

"I'm sorry, miss, but there is no one by that name working here." The manager exclaimed. "Will you please leave now? I have other legitimate customers to attend to!"

"All right." Andi sighed. "I'll go." She put on her best disappointed face and trudged outside. When she got back to the truck, her dad was waiting for her.

"Did it work?" He asked.

"Fell right into it." She grinned. "Thought I was actually looking for a real person!"

"That means ye'r getting better at this." Her dad grinned. "Come on, we still got three more places to hit."

After getting chased out of a dollar store and two fast-food places, the two pulled into a driveway outside of town.

"Looks like Dan beat us back." Andi said, noticing the bronco that was parked in front of them.

"This time try not to kill your brothers." Sabertooth glared.

"What?" Andi feigned innocence. "Don't you trust me?"

"No." Sabertooth growled. "Now get out and go inside before your brother gets back."

"What about the truck?" She asked

"Don't worry." He said. "Just go inside. You know how rowdy those boys can get."

An Hour into the party, Kyle made his grand entrance, with a bottle of alcohol. He didn't get in real trouble until he decided to let one of his nephews try some.

"I can't believe you're so stiff about this." Kyle groaned.

"You tried to give a three-year-old beer!" Connor shouted. "Of course I'm stiff! He's too young!"

"Come on!" Kyle said. "What's wrong with one sip?"

"He'll turn out like you!" Andi shouted.

"Look, Kyle, I really like you as a friend, but as your brother, I have to say that you've gone too far this time!" Dan said.

"What's wrong with me?" Kyle said. "What?"

"You're a low life who is constantly drunk!" Andi said. "I doubt you've ever had a stable job in your life!"

"Dad drinks all the time!" Kyle shot back. "What's so special about him?"

"First of all, keep up this shit and I'll send you through that window!" Sabertooth shouted. "Second, I had a job that paid enough to support you!"

"So I'm not good enough to stay in the family tree?" Kyle said.

"Even I never gave you kids alcohol when you were that little!" Sabertooth growled. "You could have killed him!"

"We're mercenaries, what do we care?" Kyle said.

"Even the worst of mercs can understand what alcohol poisoning can do to a child!" Andi shouted.

"That's it isn't it?" Kyle asked. "Just because I'm not like your precious little Stormy, I'm a bad person!"

"You are, dumbass!" Andi shouted.

"You think you're just so perfect, don't you?" Kyle said. "Well, here's a newsflash!" he tried to hit her, but she blocked him and slashed his arm.

"Story's Cancelled!" Andi growled.

"Die Bitch!" Kyle screamed. He charged and knocked her to the floor. Andi went blue and used her fins to make a gash in her attacker's arm. He bit her, and she bit back.

"He's gonna kill her!" Dan shouted.

"Oh no, he's not." Sabertooth growled. He stalked over to the bloody battleground, pulled Kyle off of Andi, and threw him into a wall. "What the #&! hell is the matter with you?"

"She's a #&! Bitch who can't $& understand what it's like to have nothing!" Kyle swore.

"!$& Die you (&$! Bastard!" Andi shouted back. "You weren't locked away! Or beaten! Or touched like I was! What the #& gives you the $(&#! Right to say that!"

"What do all those words mean?" Josiah, Connor's oldest son, asked.

"If I catch you repeating these words you will be grounded until you're forty." Connor said.

"But what do they mean?" Josiah asked again.

"That's not important." Beka scolded as Dan grabbed Kyle by the arms to keep him away from Andi.

"Why do Uncle Kyle and Aunt Indy fight each other so much?" Zeke, their other son, asked.

"Her name is Andi." Connor said.

"But why do they fight?" Joe asked.

"I guess Kyle thinks that Grandpa loves Andi more because she's a girl." Connor said as Andi screamed more death threats at Kyle.

"That's silly." Zeke laughed.

"It sure is." Connor said as Sabertooth dragged Andi outside and dropped her in the truck.

She never stopped swearing.


	26. Family Matters

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty-six: **Family Matters**

After a brief quarantine in the truck, Sabertooth came back and dragged his daughter back out. And started another debate.

"He had it coming!" Andi growled. "You heard what he said!"

"You cannot kill your brother." Sabertooth growled back. "You couldn't get enough blows in for that before he took your hand off or something."

"I could too!" Andi said. "Just a few more minutes and I would have sliced his scrawny little…"

"Don't even go there!"

"I meant his head!"

"Look at you after five minutes! Your mother is going to kill me for this!"

"I can take it."

"I didn't say you couldn't take it, I said that I'm not going to get in any more trouble than possible."

"Gee, that's a pretty wide margin."

"Stormy."

"What?" Andi feigned innocence.

"No. Backtalk." Sabertooth growled.

"I'll try." Andi said. "Don't worry about Kyle, I won't do to him what Mom wouldn't do to one of her targets."

"In that case, back in the truck!" Sabertooth said.

"Come on!" Andi pleaded. "It's not like I was gonna hit on him or something."

"Not even gonna take that chance." Sabertooth said. "Back in the car."

"I'm thirsty." Andi said. "I think I'll go ask Beka where the drinks are." She walked through the front door.

"Stormy!"

"Be back in a second!" Andi shouted as she walked into the living room.

"Did Dad finally let you out?" Dan asked.

"Sort of." Andi said. "Hey, Con! Where are the drinks?"

"Ice chest next to the table." Connor said. The boys were both outside playing with one of Connor's friends from work.

"Thanks." Andi said. She walked over and grabbed a drink out of the chest.

"Those bites are going to get infected if you don't watch it." Beka said.

"I'll live." Andi shrugged. "Where's the ape?"

"Let me find some antiseptic for you." Beka said. "You stay here."

"Gah, Stormy, why do you and Kyle have to be mortal enemies?" Connor said as his wife left the room. "I know you two have a personality clash, but I expected one of you to handle it like a person!"

"I have." Andi said. "I maturely decided that he needed his ass throttled."

"We can't even put you two in the same room!" Dan said. "How mature is that?"

"He started it!" Andi protested.

"And you continued it!" Connor shouted. "For Pete's sake, kid, you don't have to try to maul him every time he walks in the door!"

"He never does anything but screw up!" Andi shouted. "Like today! I mean, I'm working with some pretty stupid people, but even they know better than to try what he did!"

"You still didn't have to jump him!" Connor said as Beka re-entered the scene.

"I brought some cotton balls too." Beka said.

"Thanks." Andi said. "And what were you two going to do? Stand around and watch?"

"No." Dan answered. "Dammit, Stormy, why do you have to be so headstrong?"

"Family trait." Andi growled.

"You know, I'm starting to agree with Raven." Connor said.

"About what?" Andi snapped.

"That you're just like Dad!" Connor shouted. "I mean, it's so obvious! I don't see how he misses it!"

"Can you two keep it down?" Beka scolded as she put the liquid on Andi's wounds. "The neighbors will hear you if you keep this up."

"Sorry." The men said.

"Okay." Andi winced as Beka rubbed the liquid onto her.

"Sorry." Beka said. "Hydrogen Peroxide stings, but it's the best stuff for cleaning surface wounds."

"Why aren't you getting those?" Dan asked and pointed to one wound on the girl's arm, and another on her face.

"I haven't gotten to the face yet." Beka said. "But that gash is too deep for this. I think you're going to need stitches."

"I don't think we'll need to go that far." Connor sighed. He got up and walked over to the girl. "Just hold still, kid." Andi nodded and held her arm out. Connor's hands began to glow a faint yellow as he placed one over her wounded arm. In a matter of moments, the gash was completely healed. "There." He said. "That will do."

"Just that one?" Andi asked. "Why not the others?"

"The others aren't that serious." Connor said.

"That because they aren't still bleeding?" Dan asked.

"Probably." Beka said as Sabertooth walked inside.

"Everyone else go outside?" he asked.

"Yep." Dan said. "Well, except Kyle, and God knows where he went."

"As long as he's gone, I don't care." Andi grumbled.

"When do you leave in the morning?" Connor asked.

"My flight supposedly leaves at eight." Andi said. "So that means that I need to be there at seven-thirty."

"And we won't ever see you again!" Dan wined.

"If not for my boss, I'd give you the address." Andi said.

"You stayin' with me or Doc tonight?" Sabertooth asked.

"Does it matter?" Dan asked.

"Wherever my stuff is." Andi answered.

"Then no staying up past midnight." Sabertooth growled.

"Come on! I can go on four hours of sleep!" Andi protested.

"Not and function properly." Sabertooth said. "Lights out at midnight, that's final!"

"How late are we staying here?" She asked.

"Good question." Dan said.

"Most of the others are leaving in another hour." Connor said. "But since there's only three of you, it won't matter."

"Lights out at midnight." Sabertooth said. "Don't push it, Kid."

"Oh, fine!" she growled. "Hey, Con, can I go look at the horses?"

"All right." Connor said. "Just be careful."

"Thanks!" Andi grinned and took off.

"I'm going to be a good hostess and say hello to our guests." Beka said.

"I'm coming." Connor said.

"Why are you going out there, Dad?" Dan asked.

"To keep an eye on you sister." Sabertooth groaned.

"I think I just figured out what it is." Dan said as he followed the others outside.

"Figured what out?" Beka asked.

"Why Dad can't see how much alike he and Andi are." Dan said.

"Why do you think."? Connor asked.

"She looks just like Raven." Dan said. "I mean, the hair color's different, but she really does look just like her mom, doesn't she?"

"I never thought about that before." Connor said. "But come to think of it, yeah, I see it."

"Now go tell your father that." A friend of Connor's said as they saw Andi shoot off across the pasture behind the house on one of the horses; holding on to only a pair of reins hooked onto the halter. Some distance behind, Sabertooth was standing in the barn doorway shouting.

"Andrea Mercy Creed, get your ass back here!"

Andi acknowledged the shouting, but didn't bother to make out words. She just squeezed her legs tighter against the bay's body and made him go even faster.

"You said that kid was working?" One man asked.

"Yep." Connor said. "She is."

"Man, I feel sorry for her boss." The man who had spoken first said as Andi started running laps around the pasture.

"You're telling me." Dan said. "I'm just glad it's not one of us."

"Amen to that." Connor sighed.


	27. Only the Lonely

**Disclaimer: Although loneliness isn't the only cause of depression, it sure doesn't help much.**

**Well, we're back to the main plot now. Well, as close to a main plot as I'll ever get. Enjoy!**

**Second Chances**

Chapter twenty-seven: **Only the Lonely**

Although the trip had been a welcome break, the monotony of life on base started right back up the moment she stepped back onto the base. Coping was never one of Andi's strongest points.

The boys left on Friday afternoon to go to a family thing, and Neal and Regan were abroad visiting their families, so she was alone with Kris and Zanya. That particular afternoon was very depressing. Zartan was running a solo session with his daughter, and Kristen was snoozing, so she was left alone with her homework. "Uhg. Pre-algebra is so depressing." She sighed.

_Not as depressing as that outfit. _A voice said.

"Not again." Andi groaned. "Would you just go away?"

_No can do. _The voice said. _I'm here for the long haul._

_Don't you mean we're here?_ A second voice said. _You forget, Rae, we have to share this mind._

_I didn't forget, I ignored._ Rae said. _You're a prick._

"Just shut up." Andi groaned.

_No._ Rae said.

"Then I'll make you." Andi growled. She grabbed the knife and made two little cuts on her arms.

_Still not going to work. _Rae said.

_Stop encouraging her!_ The second voice said. _She could kill us! Or worse, someone else could know!_

_Shut up, Josie. _Rae said. _I know what I'm doing. _

Andi cut at her skin again and watched the crimson droplets flow from the wound. "Go away."

_Do what she says!_ Josie shouted.

_Make me._ Rae said. _This is fun!_

"Stop." Andi said weakly.

_Oh. No patterns? I thought all cutters made patterns!_ Rae said mockingly.

_Stop it! _Josie yelled. _That's enough! Let's just get back to work!_

_Fine! _Rae groaned and shut up, and Josie seemed to vanish. Andi, meanwhile, was a wreck.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" She whispered. "Why can't I be like the others?"

_Because you're not._ Rae's voice echoed. _You've got some deep dark secrets hidden up here. _

"You wouldn't dare!" Andi hissed.

_I would._ Rae snickered. _Let's see, in a lab, abandoned, homeless? And that was all **before** you were ever adopted!_

"It wasn't my fault." Andi whispered. "I didn't have a choice."

_But you did later._ Rae said. _You could have stopped them. You could have went back._

"I didn't know." She cried. "I swear, It wasn't my fault."

_Sure, make the others believe that, we know better._ Rae said. _Face it, you're nothing but a failure! An accident!_

"No." Andi said as she began to write on her arm with a marker. "Its not true."

_It's not? _Rae said. _Then why does everyone around you think it is?_

"Go away!" Andi commanded, tracing the outlines of the marker with the knife. Rae did so, with a grunt. The girl curled up next to her bed and started to sob quietly. She didn't want anyone else to hear.

Some three days later, the slashing routine had become, well, routine. Andi started wearing long sleeves or big jackets to cover up the scars. A difficult thing to do when one has a roommate.

"This whole reptile thing of yours is just creepy." Zanya said as she got ready for school. "I hope it isn't contagious."

_Such a simple minded twit. _Rae snickered.

"It's not." Andi replied. "I'm going to ride to school early."

"Whatever." Zanya rolled her eyes.

Once at school, Andi walked behind the school bleachers. She was part of a club now. A club for people who sniffed markers.

"The whole roomy thing is a total drag." A girl named Christy sighed. "I hope I don't go to college. I don't like people."

"Yeah." A dude named Bran said. "They steal your stuff."

"Duh." Andi said. "That's why they want you there."

"Point." Bran said as the last member, a boy named Mikey came up to the group. He was looking more spaced out than usual.

"Hey, what's up?" Christy sighed.

"I got something cool." Mikey grinned.

"Better than caffeine?" Andi asked.

"Way better." Mikey said. "I found something that'll give you a rush like you wouldn't believe!"

"That's cough syrup." Andi said. "It makes you dizzy and gives the strange sensation of flying through the air."

"This stuff will change your mind, newb." Mikey said as he pulled a four small bags out of his back pack. Each bag had a handful of red pills.

"What is it?" Christy asked.

"Some stuff my mom takes." Mikey said. "I took her stuff by accident at first, but it was so cool! You all gotta try this."

"I dunno, Bub." Andi gave a quizzical look. "What if it like drains out organs and we shrivel up into prunes?"

"Then it's worth it." Mikey said. "You won't feel anything! It's the ultimate painkiller!"

"I'm game." Bran said. "Give me some!"

"I'm still not so sure." Andi said as Bran grabbed a bag.

"Come on." Bran said. "If you really wanna be in the group, you gotta at least try it."

"Refund if it don't work." Mikey said. "Just give it a whirl."

"I guess so." Christy said. "What about you, Andi?"

Andi bit her lip and swallowed hard. "Fine. I'll try it. But just today."

"Smart girl." Mikey said as he handed her a bag. "Now let's raid the drink machine at that gas station on the next block."

"Sweet." Christy grinned.

_What have I done?_ Andi sighed mentally as she followed the group. _But it doesn't matter. They don't care if I'm weird. That makes me cool. I'm cool now. All I have to do is swallow a pill, and I'm in. _She continued on this train of thought until after they returned.

"To the rush." Mikey said as he downed his dose.

"Rush." They all said as they gulped down their pills.


	28. Cycle Down

**Disclaimer: I would not wish to be healed completely of all my wounds. The scars are reminders of where I have been and where I am now.**

**I'm back! Well, at least for now. **

**Second Chances**

Chapter Twenty-eight: **Cycle Down**

After nearly a month of arguing with her own mind, Andi had had enough. The pills helped, but only just. After they wore off, the voices were back; the memories were back. Her head felt like it would implode, and she started shaking.

"Whatever this stuff is it's certainly strong." She sighed as she examined the bag. "Hooked in under three weeks, that's a record."

_Especially for you._ An apparition sneered. Rae had taken on the form of a black haired rebel.

"Go away." Andi said. "I can't take it."

"I knew you couldn't." Rae narrowed her eyes. "You were always the weak one."

"Oh stop it." Josie said as she appeared. She had brown hair and was not much more than average. "She could really kill us!"

"No she won't." Rae waved her hand. "She's not confident enough. Got no self esteem. I'll be in control of this mind soon enough."

"No, you won't." Andi said. She wrote on her arm as she spoke. "I am the one calling the shots in this body. Not you."

"Wow, finally showing backbone." Rae feigned shock. "I like this side of you. More feisty."

"You haven't seen feisty yet." Andi growled.

"What are you doing?" Zanya asked as she walked in. "What did you do to your arm?"

"Nothing!" Andi covered as she rolled her sleeve down. "Just thinking out loud about that P.E. coach."

"Yeah, gotcha." Zanya nodded. "Dad told me to tell you to come downstairs."

"For what?" Andi asked.

"Don't know." Zanya shrugged. "He just said to come to the living room."

_Better do what he says. _She got up and sighed. "Fine, I'm coming."

The meeting, as it turned out, was about stepping up training.

"You kids have adjusted well, but you just aren't ready for the kind of missions you were hired to perform." Zartan said. "The training needs to be intensified as of now."

"And we do what?" Andi asked. "Jump through fiery hoops? Or would you prefer the tightrope."

"The tightrope, eventually." Zartan said. "The point is that all of you need some more fine-tuning before you can be turned loose on high-risk missions."

"How long will all of this 'fine tuning' take?" Bryan asked.

"Six months to a year, depending on how well you pick up the techniques." Zartan answered. "We will start tomorrow morning at five."

"What?" Mitch blinked. "That's insane!"

"Yeah, can't you just, you know, move it to afternoons or something?" Regan asked.

"Your afternoons are booked." Zarana said. "Literally. All of you need to get to your homework."

"But it's soo early!" Kristen wined. "That's what time I get back to sleep!"

"Well then, you can learn to sleep at night like the rest of us." Zartan said. "Five a.m. No excuses."

"This smells bad." Neal said.

"You mean this stinks." Kris corrected.

"Same thing!" Neal shot back.

"It's not that bad." Andi said. "I'm up at five anyway."

"Although why the hell she does is a mystery." Zanya added.

"I have to walk the dog." Andi stated. "Besides, I don't need much sleep."

"Unlike some people we know." Neal snickered and looked at Kris.

"Shut up, Ford." Kris hissed.

"It's Sharra!" Neal protested.

"It should be Ford." Kris said.

"Will you two just stop it?" Andi groaned.

"But where would the fun be in that?" Rae snickered as she appeared again, this time next to Regan.

"He/she started it!" Kris and Neal said at the same time.

"I don't care!" Andi said. "Just shut up! Both of you!"

"That was rude." Josie pouted as she appeared next to Rae.

"Okay! Okay!" Kris said. "Yeesh! Don't bite my head off!"

"I will stop now." Neal gulped.

"They jump at your command and all you do is draw and play games?" Rae raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you just take over? Kick out Clover and show these guys what real power is!"

"Because it's wrong." Josie protested. "We're not strong enough."

"Just stop." Andi whispered.

"Are you okay, Andi?" Regan asked, looking concerned.

"I'll be fine." Andi said. "I just need a drink."

"Go ahead." Zartan said. "That's all for now."

"Thank goodness!" Bryan sighed.

Once in the kitchen, Andi hurriedly poured a glass of water and pulled her bag of pills out of her back pants pocket. She had just swallowed another dose when Kristen walked in.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kris asked.

"Nothing." Andi said.

"Bull!" Kris said. "I saw you down those pills. Who gave them to you? How long have you had them?"

"Mikey gave them to the club members." Andi said. "He brought them last month. I know what you're gonna say, it's bad for you, but, Kris, its' the greatest rush on the planet!"

"That rush is going to cost you your life!" Kristen said. "I can't believe you'd do drugs!"

"Just when I have to." Andi said. "Like every six hours. It's not that bad! I don't always take them. Just before school and stuff."

"I don't believe it." Kris sighed. "Ann, this isn't the way out! What would the others do if they saw you like this?"

"I don't care anymore!" Andi hissed. "And I know what you're going to say, so don't! No one can help, Kris! Not even you!"

"Would you listen to yourself?" Kris pleaded. "You've gone crazy!"

"That ship sailed a long time ago, Vampira." Andi growled. "Just leave me the hell alone!" she stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

"Vampira!" Kris whirled around and saw Zartan standing there. "What is going on in here?"

"Just an argument, sir." Kristen said. "Nothing to worry about."

"Why am I not convinced?" He asked. "Look, we all know something's up with Atlantis, I just need to know what."

"I can't say." Kristen hung her head. "I promised."

"Sometimes promises, like rules, must be broken." Zartan said. "You don't have to say anything now, just don't wait until it's too late."

"Yes, sir." Kris said. "Thank you."

"I just hope that she won't wait too long." Zartan sighed as the raven haired girl left the room.


	29. Tourniquet

**Andi has had enough of being pushed around by everyone, imagined or no, and goes to the most extreme measures yet to make the pain stop. But will the others find her in time to stop her? **

**Second Chances**

Chapter twenty-nine:** Tourniquet**

School is prison. You are trapped in one room for the better part of an hour with twenty other inmates and a warden. Sometimes your classmates will ignore you; heck, maybe they even like you. But sometimes you don't get lucky.

"Just scream you freak!" a bulky boy named Rex growled as Andi glared back at him. He was her new tormenter. They had four classes together, and he would not soon let her forget it.

"Not for you, loser!" Andi snarled as she reeled from his punch.

"You really must be new." Rex said. "Or else you would just give me what I want! All of your money!"

"I told you, I don't have any, stupid!" Andi shouted as he tried to hit her again. It was true, she'd spent it all on a soft drink, a granola bar, and some chocolate to do her for breakfast/lunch. Her stash had gotten dangerously low.

"I don't believe you!" he shouted as he hit her again. "Give it up!"

"Not to you!" She shouted as she scratched his arm. He reeled back, giving her time to go for his face. This made him angrier and he hit her in the eye.

"That's enough, you crazy bitch!" He shouted as he grabbed her shoulders and slammed her into a locker.

By this point a large crowd had gathered. Many were cheering Rex on, laughing and shouting praises as she hit her head against a door handle. They got louder as he punched her in the side of the face. They shut up when one of their number ran in to her defense.

"Take this, Sicko!" Bryan shouted as he tackled Rex, throwing the unsuspecting bully to the ground. It was at this point that a teacher finally showed up.

"Mister Dukes! What on earth have you done? Hitting two students?" The woman said.

"It was Rex!" Andi said. "Ry was just…"

"You don't need to be afraid, dear." The woman said. "You, to the principal's office! Now why don't you go to the nurse, dear?"

"Yes, Miss Hoard." Andi sighed, mouthing a "sorry" to her friend before he was dragged away.

"Another time, freak." Rex said. "This ain't over."

"I wish it were." Andi sighed as she walked to the nurse's office.

An ice pack, some butterfly bandages, four hours and two painkillers later, Andi was back on base and should have been doing solo training with Zartan. However, after taking one look at her, he promptly stated that he would simply move Regan's session up a day and deal with her tomorrow. This left her to her thoughts, and they weren't kind at the moment.

"You just let him walk all over you!" Rae hissed. "I thought you said you still had your pride? Have you given that away too?"

"And what else have I given away?" Andi asked.

"Let's see." Rae said. "Hope, ambition, will to live, virgi…"

"Don't you even go there!" Andi growled. "I didn't have a choice! It was four on one!"

"But you could have fought back." Rae said. "That whole 'do not scream' rule got you so screwed over that you still can't stand to let a guy touch you."

"She has a point." Josie said. "You need to move on."

"And do what, sleep with every guy who makes an offer?" Andi quipped.

"It would be an improvement." Rae commented.

"Shut up!" Josie said. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Rae asked.

"That she should start accepting help from others." Josie said. "I know that the shame is enormous, but its time to let go. Maybe start therapy…"

"No." Andi and Rae deadpanned at the same time.

"I'll be damned if I let someone else know about this shit." Andi growled. "And no one is going to find out."

"Breaking your word to your friend." Josie said. "You'll regret it."

"I don't care." Andi said, grabbing a knife. "This ends now! I can't take this!"

"Don't!" Josie shouted as Andi jabbed the knife into her left arm, puncturing the artery, and then jabbed the other one.

"Wow, sudden burst of courage." Rae said. "If only it wasn't so… final."

"At least I'll be rid of you." Andi smiled as she watched the blood flow out of her wrists. "It ends tonight!"

Bryan and the rest of the team, minus Andi, were watching Home Improvement when Zanya came in through the garage.

"I can't believe he left the cap off again!" She grumbled as she stormed through. She was covered in oil.

"Well, look on the bright side." Kris said. "No frizz."

"Can it." Zanya said. "Where's the fish?"

"She said that she was doing her homework." Bryan said as Kristen started to look more and more uneasy. "Although I think she might've hit a snag from the yelling I heard earlier."

"Does anyone else smell blood?" Kristen asked.

"It's probably just Road Pig playing with some sharp pointy object." Zanya said. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Fine with us." Mitch said as Zartan walked in from the kitchen.

"Where is Atlantis?" He asked.

"That's the second time somebody's asked that question today." Regan said. "And the answer is upstairs."

"Why are you looking for her?" Mitch asked.

"To make sure that cut on the back of her head isn't any worse than it was when she came in." Zartan said. "Gods know she won't say anything." As he finished, a blood-curling screech was heard from upstairs.

"I think its gotten much worse." Kristen gulped as the group rushed upstairs.

Zanya was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with terror. In front of her was Andi, surrounded in her own blood. Her wrists were slit, and there were scars from earlier cuts.

"Oh my God!" Regan shouted. Neal was muttering something in Hindu, and the other three were awestruck as Zartan pushed his way to the girl.

"Zanya! Call the med lab, tell them we're on our way over there now!" He said.

"What do I tell them?" She asked.

"Tell them we have an injured agent who has lost a lot of blood." He said. "Go! Now!"

Zanya took off down the stairs as the other adults came on the scene.

"Oh no!" Zarana gasped as she peered in the doorway.

"Don't just stand around and look at the mess!" Zartan shouted. "One of you go start the car!"

"Okay." Zarana nodded and disappeared down the stairwell.

"Does the Lab know…" Zandar started.

"Zanya's on the phone with them now." Zartan said. "But we can't just stand around here talking." He picked the girl up and walked to the doorway. The rest of the "crowd" divided to let him through.

"Will she be okay?" Mitch asked Zandar as Zartan carried Andi's lifeless frame down the stairs and out the front door.

"I don't know, kid." Zandar said. "I really don't know."

**Cliffy! I'll have the next chapter up soon, I promise. I just need to tend to a few other stories that require my attention.**


	30. Waiting game

**Disclaimer: Doing nothing can be the hardest thing to do, but also the most intelligent. **

**Wow! Thirty chapters! I think this makes the longest fic I've ever written. Anyway, lets see how the others do while waiting. **

**Second Chances**

Chapter Thirty: **Courage**

Some thirty minutes later, the entire team was outside the Medical Lab.

"I should have known something was up." Kristen groaned as she put her head in her hands.

"Don't take it so hard." Bryan said. "We all missed it."

"But I knew that she was cutting herself!" Kristen shouted. "I saw her swallowing the drugs, and I didn't do a thing!"

"Because Andi said she was fine." Bryan said. "She's like that. You just gotta learn to speak her language."

"I should have probed her mind." Regan said. "Maybe then she would still be here."

"There are a lot of maybes, kids." Zandar said. "The point is that no one noticed because she wouldn't let you."

"That's a bad thing, right?" Mitch asked.

"This time." Zandar said as the doors opened. Zarana and Zartan walked out and found a spot to stand.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Bryan asked.

"She made it, didn't she?" Regan asked warily.

"For the moment." Zartan sighed. "They've stabilized her, but she has lost a lot of blood."

"No duh." Kristen said. "That's what happens when one slits their wrists."

Zartan gave her a silencing glare and continued. "The doctors seem to think that if she can stay stable through tonight she'll be all right."

"Are we allowed to see her?" Bryan asked.

"Not right now." Zarana said. "They're still trying to get all the machines hooked up. Does she have any family?"

"The numbers are in her room." Kristen said. "I can run back and get them!"

"Do it." Zartan said. "Find those numbers and call everyone there while you are on base. We'll let you know if there's any change."

"Fine." Kristen said as she sped off.

In another two hours, Kristen had returned. "We have got to clean that girl's room." She said. "It looks like a bomb went off in there. It took me thirty minutes to find her notebooks and another fifteen to find the right page."

"But you called her brothers, right?" Neal asked.

"Them and her mother." Kris said. "She said that she'd get in touch with Andi's dad right away."

"Let me guess, he didn't leave a number?" Zartan groaned.

"Got it in one." Kristen said. "Zanya said she wanted some help with Torch, though. Something about the backyard?"

"I'll go see what's up." Zarana sighed as she got up from the chair she was sitting in. (Some ten minutes after Kristen left, Mitch had found some folding chairs.)

"That might be best." Zartan said. "When you get there…"

"Let them in on her condition." Zarana finished. "Got it."

"Thank you." Zartan said.

"You just don't want to get up." Regan snickered.

"Uh, Reg, that dude is paying us." Bryan eyed her warily. "You could get fired doing that."

"No one is getting fired!" Zartan said.

"At least not yet." Zandar added as a man in a white coat walked out.

"Who are you?" Mitch asked.

"I'm Doctor Lane." The man said. "I just transferred to this base last week."

"Hello to you too." Ry said.

"Is Andi okay?" Kris asked.

"She'll be fine." Dr. Lane said. "But I need to speak with whoever your commanding officer is."

"Fine." Zartan said. He got up and followed Dr. Lane into the hallway near the room where the girl was being kept. "What is it? Is something wrong with her?"

"You mean besides her blood-work and the attempted suicide." Dr. Lane said. "Physically, there is only one issue that caught my eye."

"Her mutation?" Zartan asked.

"No." Dr. Lane shook his head. "That wasn't what worried me."

"Then what is the problem?" Zartan asked.

"We need to be able to run a complete physical on her," Dr. Lane said, "but one of the aids seems to think that the girl has been sexually abused."

"What?" Zartan blinked. "Why?"

"Scar tissue." Dr. Lane replied. "In addition to what we saw on her arms and back, we found some… well, that was indicative of rape. Of course, like I said, we need to run some more tests, but only with permission from her commanding officer."

"I don't think it my place." Zartan said after a long pause. "However, her parents and three older brothers have been informed. By tomorrow, at least one of them should be here to check on her. If they approve the tests, go ahead."

"They may even save us the trouble." Dr. Lane said. "If her family knows anything useful, it will be of great help."

"I thought as much." Zartan said. "We already know that poor girl has been a lab-rat, let's not run any tests that aren't completely necessary."

"I agree." Dr. Lane said. "Oh, before you leave, I need to tell you something."

"What?" Zartan asked.

"Since this is a suicide attempt, she will have to go into counseling." Dr Lane said.

"I'm well aware." Zartan said. "And until she's cleared her psyche evaluation, she won't be doing any field work."

"I'm glad we're on the same page." Dr. Lane said, then looking in to the unconscious girl. "Its such a shame. That girl has a world of potential."

"Yes." Zartan sighed. "A shame indeed."


	31. Holding On

**Second Chances**

Chapter Thirty-one:** Holding On**

That night, the rest of the kids were gathered in the boys' room discussing their friend.

"I can't believe she tried this again." Kristen sighed. "She said she was fine!"

"I can't believe you knew she was on drugs and never told us!" Bryan said. "We had a right to know!"

"She made me swear!" Kristen shouted. "Does that mean nothing to you guys?"

"Well, to quote our nearly departed friend, some rules are meant to be broken!" Bryan said.

"Why did she start this in the first place?" Regan asked. "She was always the one who wouldn't take the meds."

"I'm sure I don't know." Kristen said. "She just said that it was under control."

"And what do you mean again?" Mitch asked. "She did this before?"

"You try being in a lab for eight months and see how badly it screws with your head!" Regan shouted.

"All of you, settle down!" Zarana shouted. The preteens all shut up and looked at the floor. "That's better." She said. "Now I am tired of hearing all of this bickering! Yeah, it's bad, we get that. That doesn't mean that any one person is to blame for this."

"But she…" Mitch started.

"It doesn't matter." Zarana said. "Look, if you kids are ever going to pull through this as a team you are going to have to forget the blame and focus on what is really important right now."

"Making sure Ann's okay." Ry said softly.

"That's right." Zarana said. "Now her older brother Daniel just called to let us know that he is on his way here. He should arrive in the morning."

"Will he be staying with us?" Neal asked.

"No." Zarana shook her head. "He said that he would find a motel to stay at for the night or something."

"And you want to know if we can keep an eye on him." Kristen finished. "No problem."

"Thank you." Zarana said. "I'll go see if there's been any change with her; but you kids need to get to bed."

"Can you tell us about it in the morning?" Regan yawned.

"Sure." Zarana nodded as she walked out.

"Could you repeat that?" Zarana said into the telephone reciever.

"She's been raped, sister." Zartan replied on the other end. "Or at least that is what our lovely doctors seem to think."

"If it happened at school, why didn't…."

"She wasn't attacked that recently." Zartan said. "Dr. Lane seemed to think that those scars were over five months old."

"So was someone we might know behind this?" Zarana asked. "Because if they did…"

"I know." Zartan sighed. "But we need the facts. Has anyone called base?"

"One of her brothers called about ten minutes ago." Zarana said. "Said he was coming down so he should be here sometime tomorrow."

"Fine." Zartan said. "We can talk to him then. Oh, are the other kids still awake?"

"I just sent them to bed." Zarana said. "You think they know about this?"

"They haven't told us what we need to know." Zartan replied.

"But they're just kids! Granted, they are in this business, but still!" Zarana protested. "Do you really think she would have told them?"

"I don't know, but we need to find out what really happened." He said. "The only way to get to the bottom of this is to learn what they know."

"Fine!" she conceded. "But you are going to be the one to talk to them!"

"Fine." He groaned. "I'll talk to them in the morning."

There was a long pause before either spoke again. "Is she going to be okay?" Zarana asked.

"They're keeping her sedated," He sighed, "but they said with rest she should be fine unless…"

"Unless what?" She asked.

"Unless she's given up." He sighed.


	32. Past Sins and Present Problems

**I am sorry for the lateness and the shortness of this chapter, but I need some inspiration. Writing this thing is harder than it looks.**

Sapphire: Although I don't see why.

**You try it next time, then.**

Sapphire: It took you over a month to update the fic I'm in! And I wasn't even in this last chapter!

**I can't please everybody. Your daughter was in it, though.**

Sapphire: Not the same!

Atlantis: At least you're conscious! When do I actually wake up?

**In the next couple of chapters, now both of you shut up so we can get there!**

**Disclaimer: Of course you'll always be my friend; you know too much.**

**Dedication: To my readers who put up with my sporadic updates and plot problems, but yet don't do anything to change it.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter thirty-two: **Past Sins and Present Problems**

The next morning brought many challenges for the adults. First, the kids wouldn't say anything when asked about previous injuries other than that Andi had the nickname "danger- prone Daphne'. Next, when Dan arrived both cars refused to start, so they had to call a cab to bring him to the main base. And after a fiasco with giving the driver directions and making sure that he would not remember the way back, Dan and Zartan were in the section of the Medical Bay that Andi was being kept in.

"How long has she been out?" Dan asked.

"Since last night." Zartan said. "The doctors are keeping her in a drug-induced coma until they think she's ready to be taken home."

"Smart move." Dan smiled weakly. "Con said that when our dad brought her out of that lab she was nuts. Ripped out the I.V.'s and everything."

"I see." Zartan replied. "Do you know anything about her life before you met her?"

"Like what?" Dan asked. "That's a fairly broad area."

"I mean when she was in that lab everyone keeps talking about." Zartan said. "The other kids won't tell us about what happened, so you need to give us any information that might be helpful as to figuring out what made her snap like this."

"There was one time…" Dan trailed off.

"Yes. Keep going."

"Well, Connor, our older brother, is a doctor and he ended up being the one to treat all the kids that came out of that hell-hole." Daniel started. "I overheard he and Dad arguing about some scars he found on her one time. I edged in close as I could to listen in more. Con said that the scars weren't from a fight or restraints, and that confused me until I heard our father start in on it."

"What did he say?" Zartan asked.

"They argued back and forth about some incident with a few of the guards." Dan answered. "Apparently, after one of her 'treatments', they decided to have their way with her. Dad found her tied up in one of the closets with nothing on but whatever paper sheet they had her wearing for their experiments. Got so mad that he chased down whatever guards he could find and ripped them apart. She was stuck in their medical lab overnight and he ended up in isolation."

"Did they ever find out exactly who did that to her?"

"Yes and no. The ones that watched or held her down were slaughtered, but the one that actually hurt her got away."

"Was she the only victim?"

"The only one still living."

"How is she doing today?" Zarana asked as she entered.

"Okay, I guess." Dan answered. "So, she's working in this place now?"

"More or less." Zartan said. "Most of their training is done here, but the team lives on a separate base."

"That's fine." Dan waved. "I'm just amazed someone has been willing to put up with her for over two months."

"Yes, we've seen her school and employment records." Zarana said.

"How many other people has she taken out yet?" Dan asked.

"Let's see, she led the hanging upside-down of two of our highest ranking officers and has come home from school with detention since the first day." Zartan said. "She started off with a real bang."

"That just means Stormy likes it here." Dan waved. "She's comfortable with this place."

"I know this is completely off topic," Zarana started, "but why do you call her Stormy?"

"Because dad's nickname for her mother is Misty." Dan laughed. "I think he's called her that since birth."

"She certainly grew into it, I'll say that much." Zartan commented. "Let's just hope she isn't as crazy when we start trying to talk her through this."

"Good luck with that." Dan chuckled.


	33. Wakeup Call

**Second Chances**

Chapter Thirty-three: **Wake Up Call**

It was nearly seven in the evening before Andi began to show any signs of life. The first thing she remembered seeing was blurry figures in a white room. At first, she thought she was dead, but realized as she came to that she was still among the living.

"Hey, Kiddo." Dan said as he looked down at her. "You had us all scared to death."

"I can't believe this!" Andi groaned.

"What?" Dan asked. "You failed? Just let it go, Stormy."

"I can't just let it go, Dan." Andi growled. "I can't even kill myself right! How screwed up is that?"

"I would be more worried if you had succeeded." He said. "Look, this is going to sound corny and Kyle won't think the same, but you are the only sister I've got!"

"And I still can't make dad proud."

"If that is what this is about, you are seriously wiggin'. He adores you!"

"All we do is fight! How is that love?"

"He still don't know what to do with you yet, Andi."

"Maybe I would have been better off if he hadn't found me. If I had died after…"

"Oh save the f-n' sob story! We know, we get it, now let it go, kid!"

"Do you have any idea what it's like to have only your own mind to keep you company?"

"Got the t-shirt. All of us have gone through that."

"You mean you all have split personalities?"

"What?"

"Or schizophrenia, whichever. It's really all the same when the voices take on a solid form before your eyes."

"Those pills have really screwed with your head, haven't they?"

"This goes back before that. This was when the cutting started."

"It ain't gonna shut 'em up."

"Don't you think I figured that out!"

"Fine!" he threw his hands in the air. "Don't bite my head off. Look, I know dad is about useless, but maybe Raven can help with this."

"I have to stay here and get back to work." She protested.

"You boss has cleared it." He said.

"What?" She blinked. "When?"

"While you were out." He said. "He said that before you took over team leadership again, you would need to pass a psyche evaluation. And that's not even counting the time you're gonna be out on detox!"

"But she's in the middle of recruiting right now." Andi asked. "I'll get her in trouble with her boss!"

"She only has one kid there." He replied. "You can stay in her old apartment and no one will know the difference."

"I still don't know about this." She said.

"You're awake!" Kristen shrieked as she bolted in and jumped onto the side of the bed.

"You're hurting my ears." Andi groaned at the shrill squeak her friend made upon entering.

"Serves you right!" Kristen shouted. "Don't ever do that again! What were you thinking? I could kill you myself for trying a stunt like that!"

"I'm sorry!" Andi growled. "I just wanted them to stop!"

"Who, the guys and Zanya?" Kristen asked. "There's no one around."

"No, they're in my mind." Andi said. "And sometimes in front of my face."

"You think I don't know what it's like!" Kristen shouted. "I'm nearly bipolar for heaven's sake, Creed! I know what it's like to have someone else take over your mind!"

"Do you see it in the mirror? Or in the chair across from you?" the blue eyed girl countered.

"You mean like hallucinations?" Dan asked.

"I guess." Andi said. "Although it might have been an effect of those pills."

"Or a reaction between it and the drugs in your system, dear." Dr. Lane said as he and Zartan entered.

"You the new doc here?" Andi asked.

"Yes." Dr. Lane said. "I must say, when I transferred to this base, I never expected to encounter such a high turnover rate."

"Why are you here?" Dan asked. "Did you find something out?"

"Through a bit of digging through some recent data, I think that we have found that enhancer." Dr. Lane said. "A scientist working in Canada discovered this prototype and nicknamed it Exon."

"And that prototype is what's in my bloodstream?" Andi asked.

"They think so." Zartan replied. "The side effects are essentially the same. Violent attacks and headaches, hallucinations, and a continually evolving genetic structure."

"Well, I haven't had anything like that last one." Andi said.

"But you will." Dr. Lane said. "There are quite a few other side-effects, but they are all dependant on the genetic structure of the test subject. Your age, combined with the class and form of mutation you have developed makes you a prime candidate for it."

"Why hasn't anyone found out this stuff before?" Kristen asked.

"The Government kept this whole thing classified." Zartan said. "No one knows how the drug was developed, but it is so unstable that it has been banned in all of their secret labs, not to mention Hydra's."

"Am I going to die?" Andi asked. "Will this drug kill me."

"Not the drug itself, but the attacks it causes." Dr. Lane said. "You have only had mild to moderate surges thus far, so no one bothered to look closer. A severe surge may leave you comatose or worse unless we can find a way to treat these symptoms."

"Treat?" Zartan said. "I thought you said that you could prevent them!"

"With a few more years of research, mayhaps." Dr. Lane said. "But what I was referring to was keeping her from sliping into a catatonic state after a severe attack."

"Do you have any sort of miracle drugs that can do that?" Dan asked.

"Mindbender has come up with a few trial treatments." Lane said. "They seemed to work on the animals we tested them on."

"Question!" Kristen raised her hand. "How do you tell when a rat is having hallucinations?"

"By monitoring its brain activity." Dr. Lane said.

"Or seeing if it is climing on the cage roof yet." Dan quipped.

"What kind of options have I got?" Andi asked.

"The first is an intramuscular shot that would be given every other day." Dr. Lane said.

"Pass." Andi said.

"And the other two are in the form of pills." Dr. Lane said.

"That's more like it." Andi said. "What's the deal with them?"

"One is a once a day dosage and the other is to be taken every twelve hours." Dr. Lane said. "Try each one for a week, and see how well each one works."

"I love you like a sister, but there is no way I am going to give you a shot in the ass." Kristen said.

"We are not going to use the shot unless the other two don't work." Zartan said.

"Enough talk about shots!" Andi said. "Can I go now?"

"Not just yet." Dr. Lane said. "You're staying one more night for detox and observation. If you are still feeling well, you can leave in the morning."

"What?" Andi said. "This sucks."

"You are staying here." Dan said. "The last time you said that you couldn't even walk across the room when Con let you go."

"I'm fine!" Andi protested.

"You are staying overnight for observation and that's final!" Zartan said. "You may be willing to take chances like that, but I am not."

"All right! I'll stay!" Andi growled. "But I am going to walk out of here tomorrow."

"Just wait and see what happens." Kristen smirked.

"If I didn't feel like I'd had all the life sucked out of me, I would wipe that grin right off of your face!" Andi shouted.

"I think she's recovered." Dan quipped.

"I am afraid so." Zartan sighed. "Heaven help us."


	34. If you could read my mind, you wouldn't

**And now that we know she's awake, let's see how the group does in therapy!**

**Second Chances**

Chapter thirty-four: **If You Could Read My Mind, You Wouldn't Be Here**

"Do I have to?" Andi asked as she stood outside of an office door.

"Yes." Zartan replied. "There is no getting out of this; it's standard procedure. Besides, there's obviously a whole lot of issues you need to work through before you can return to work."

"You're crazy if you think I'm gonna tell this whack job anything!" Andi protested.

"Until he clears you, you can't work! I don't know how to make that any clearer." Zartan shot back. "Just go in and chat for a while."

"I don't do small talk." Andi growled.

"Go before I drag you in myself!" Zartan hissed as he pointed at the door. Andi let out a low growl, but complied.

When she entered, she found a man with dark hair and eyes sitting in an armchair.

"Hello." He said. "You must be Atlantis."

"And what are you supposed to be?" Andi asked.

"I'm Sigfreid, the base psychiatrist." He said. "You're here for your psyche evaluation, correct?"

"Just write me a note so we can get this overwith." She said. "It will save you a headache."

"Let me be the judge of that." Sigfried replied. "Take a seat, Atlantis, and we'll get started."

"Whatever." Andi grunted as she walked over to an empty chair.

"Let's start with a subject that's less provocative." He said. "Why did you come to Cobra?"

"To get back at SHIELD." She replied. "Have you not read my file yet?"

"No," He said "I make it a point not to. It helps to connect with my patients."

"Keep tryin'." She snorted. "It ain't gonna work."

"And where did you come to that conclusion?"

"Like I'll tell you."

"Fine." He said, scratching a few things down on a notepad. "Then what about your family? Are your parents alive."

"Yes." She said.

"Are they married?"

"No."

"Any siblings?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"That's a yes. Now on to the hard questions."

"Which would be what?"

"Have you ever been in any sort of laboratory before?"

"Twice."

"When?"

"What difference does it make?"

"I simply want to understand you better, child." Sigfreid asked.

"Well stop!" Andi growled. "I am not some sort of thing to be analyzed!"

"I never meant it like that!" Sigfreid said. "But it's not something to argue about. I can see that there's more to talk about than can be covered in an hour's session."

"Can I go, then?" She asked.

"Yes," He said, "but I will see you again this next week."

"Whatever." She groaned and walked out the door. "It won't do you any good."

"Let me be the judge of that." He said. "But yes, you may leave."

"Score!" Andi exclaimed as she walked out.

"And now I must go re-negotiate my contract." Sigfreid sighed.


	35. Letting it Out

**Disclaimer: A good friend will bail you out of jail; a best friend will be sitting in the cell next to you saying, "Well, at least we had fun."**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Thirty-five: **Letting It Out**

Bryan looked around nervously before walking into the base psychiatrist's office. "Is this the right place?" He asked.

"Yes." Sigfreid said. "Tell me, are you Chaos or Thunderbird?"

"Chaos." Bryan said. "But most people call me Ry."

"Well then, Ry, why don't you take a seat and we can get started." Sigfreid said, motioning to a chair. Bryan sat down and put his hands in his pockets.

"How long have you known Atlantis?"

"Oh gosh." Bryan groaned. "We met in kindergarten, so just about eight years."

"Would you say that the two of you are close?" Sigfreid asked.

"I thought so, until now." Bryan muttered.

"Why do you feel that way?" Sigfreid said.

"Because she never told me." The boy said. "She never told any of us that she was feeling trapped. After all of these years, I thought she knew that she could tell me anything. Instead, she tells Kristen."

"I see." The older man replied. "And did that make you feel angry? Upset maybe?"

"A little bit of both, I guess." The green-eyed teen shrugged. "Why would she tell Kristen and not me?"

"Were you in the labs with her?"

"No. It was just the girls. Freddy, Mitch and I weren't taken."

"Then it probably has something to do with her experiences. She felt that Kristen would understand more than you."

"But we were practically family! Especially when she found out about her birthparents."

"How so?" Sigfreid asked. "What happened."?

"It was right before she got expelled from school the first time." Bryan said. "She heard her foster parents arguing. She didn't know she was adopted until then. They were talking about wasted money on her. That they should have never picked her up off the doorstep."

"Who left her there?" Sigfreid asked.

"We thought it was her mom until after she got out of the labs." Bryan said. "Then we found out it was the whack job scientist that suppressed her mutation. Kris could tell you more than I can."

"And what about you? How are you dealing with moving in with the Dreadnoks."?

"It's not half bad. We get a place to sleep and food. They remind me of my family."

"Do you see your family often?"

"No. Most of them are in jail, and Freddy's with a traveling truck show."

"Is this Freddy a close relative?"

"He's my older brother."

"Ah. And do you miss him?"

"Yeah, but Ann kept us together while we were looking for work. She's good like that."

"Has she always kept a brave face when trouble strikes?"

"As long as I've known her."

"And naturally it was a shock to you when she lost control."

"Well duh! I mean, why would she run out on us?"

"How do you feel towards her?"

"Angry, upset, sad, and about twenty other emotions I can't even describe."

"What would you tell her if you could speak to her face to face right now?"

"Why did you do this?" Bryan said. "Why would you leave us behind? We need you! It's not even right! After all these years of keeping us together, you just want to let us fall apart? It's not fair! You can't be so selfish! It's not just about you! We have feelings too, you know!"

Sigfreid nodded as the boy spoke, constantly writing down what was said. He only spoke after the youth had stopped. "Does that make you feel any better?"

"Yeah." Bryan nodded. "It does."

"Good." Sigfreid smiled. "I think we're done for now."

"So I can leave?" Bryan asked.

"Yes." Sigfreid motioned to the door. "Fly away."

"Thanks." Bryan nodded as he walked out.


	36. Underneath the smile

**This poll goes out to all of you who are reading this. I have the therapy experiences of three team members written down. Should I stop here or do all six? Anyway, here's Kristen's go at it.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Thirty-six: **Underneath this Smile**

Kristen groaned as she sat down on the big couch in Sigfreid's office. This day was already not going well and she hated to ruin it for the others with her bad mood.

"Ah, Vampira, correct?" He asked.

"Whatever makes you happy." She replied with a smile. "I'm only here 'cause I have to be."

"You were the one that Atlantis confided in about her drug problems, right?" he asked.

"She didn't 'confide' persay." Kristen looked at the ceiling. "I badgered it out of her. Only way to get her to tell me a damn thing about her life, but hey, we all got our problems."

"How do you feel about her attempted suicide?" He asked.

"Angry." Kristen said. "She never even considered us when she did this! I know she's been through a lot, but gah, she hasn't got a clue!"

"You aren't the least bit sad by all this?" He asked.

"I am incapeable of that emotion." She said. "I can get angry, or happy. Maybe even depressed. Just not sad."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Mental block. The nerve in charge of that emotion simply doesn't work."

"If you could, would you be upset?"

"Hell yes! I want to be like everyone else, but it never works. I had to force myself to cry once… it didn't really work that well."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since I was little."

"Is there any sort of family history for this sort of mental blockage."

"Almost all women in my family have it. That's why my father left before I was born. Then she remarried, and when that guy left he took me and my sister with him."

"Do you know anything about your father?"

"Not much." She said. "I've seen pictures and stuff, but never met the guy. From what I heard, though, he was obsessed with his work."

"Do you have any resentment towards your father?" He asked.

"No." She said. "He was the smart one."

"Do you like your stepfather?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said. "He's a great guy, but he and his wife wouldn't understand the whole vampire thing, so I just left."

"Did you ever tell them?" He asked.

"No." She shook her head. "I joined the circus with the others and never looked back. Well, after Andi and the guys straightened me out."

"What was wrong?"

"Sort of like what Andi's problem is." She said. "I have an alter-ego that likes to kill people."

"Well, child I would love to continue our discussion, but our session is up." Sigfreid said. "You can go now."

"Okay." She perked up and bounced off.

"This is going to be a long week." The Pyschiatrist sighed as he made some marks on his notepad.


	37. One Last Chance

**Since I haven't gotten any replies (sighs) I will postpone the evaluations of the other three until after this little blurb about an office meeting.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter thirty-seven: **One Last Chance**

The following morning, most of the high-ranking officers were in one of the base meeting rooms to discuss what to do about the current situation.

"I told you that those children would be a drain on our resources." Destro boomed. "Ever since they set foot on this base, they have been nothing but trouble!"

"And I'm sure you were an angel in your teenaged years." Zarana quipped. "Look, we can take the rap for not watching her, but don't kick them out."

"Why not?" The Baroness asked. "She can't control her own mind. Why should we trust her any longer?"

"We've been saying that about you and metal mouth over there for a while." Bludd snickered. "But she has a point. Those kids are out of control."

"They're twelve." Zartan said. "You can't expect the same level of training from them as you do from an adult field agent."

"Be that as it may, they still need more advanced care than our budget allows for." Destro said. "They must go."

"Technically, the medical care is covered." Mindbender said. "And what exactly is this budgeting business all about? Those kids have opened up many more research opportunities!"

"Could you not talk about them as if they were some kind of rodents?" Zarana said.

"They have to go." Destro said. "No more debates."

"I am still in charge here, Destro!" Cobra Commander shouted. "You do not make the decisions around here!"

"I am sorry, Commander." Destro gulped. "It won't happen again."

"Bet you it will." Zartan mumbled.

"Good." The Commander said. "Now will somebody please explain what expenses we are talking about here?"

"We are paying them to sit around all day!" The Baroness said.

"They were in training until this happened." Zartan said. "Until evaluation is over, they can't do anything."

"Who made that rule?" the Commander asked.

"You did." Zartan said.

"Oh." The Commander said. "Fine. What else?"

"Medical." Destro said. "While the suicide treatment is covered, the drugs to treat her mental problems aren't."

"For the last time it is not mental, it is in her bloodwork." Mindbender said. "Without treatment, she could die."

"Would that really be such a loss?" The Baroness asked.

"Take that back!" Zarana shouted.

"Will all of you quit acting like children and settle down???" The Commander shouted. The others all looked at each other and sat down. "This is pathetic! The entire Cobra executive board have reduced to acting like teenagers! You're worse than the kids!"

"They dumped me in honey and hung me from a tree." Major Bludd said through gritted teeth. "Why do they have to stay?"

"Because they have no where else to go." Zartan said. "Look, they may be a little wild now, but they'll grow out of it. It may take a few years, but they will get older and wiser."

"And find new ways to torture us." Destro said.

"When the psyche evaluation is finished, they'll get back to training." Zartan said. "As soon as they're ready to start field work."

"Next month." The Commander said.

"What?" Destro and Zartan asked at once.

"If those kids aren't ready for field work by next month, they go." The Commander said.

"Isn't that a short?" Zarana said.

"No complaints!" The Commander said. "As much as I would like to see them take out the Joes, we have to be realistic! If they haven't return to missions in four weeks, they will no longer be under Cobra employment. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes." The group grumbled.

"Good." Cobra Commander replied. "Dismissed!"

**Please, please, please send me some suggestions! I seriously need some ideas for what to do to finish this up with.**


	38. Come Clean

**We all know who owns what by now, so let's just get on with the story. These will probably be the last few chapters, so bear with me.**

Regan: That explains why you've been writing us so crappy lately.

**I'm at the end here! I'm beat! You try writing this stuff with two other monsters.**

Regan: I think I will.

**I need a caffeine break. Would you and the other two guys want your thoughts on paper?**

Mitch: Heck no! Are you crazy?

Neal: Just shoot me now.

**Fine then, I'll skip ahead! More fun with Andi.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Thirty-eight: **Come Clean**

After school on Monday, Andi was once again dragged into the shrink's office for a meeting. Of course, this time she was under orders to give relevant answers and less backtalk. Not that it mattered to her. She could take the guy without any problems. Or, at least, that was what she thought.

"Hello, Atlantis." Sigfreid greeted her once more.

"Bite me." She grunted in response.

"You know, the more of a positive attitude that you display in here, the faster you will get through." He said.

"Like this stuff really works on anyone."

"Well suicide certainly wasn't an +A decision now was it?" he said. "Now tell me, how was your day?"

"Detention." She shrugged. "Same as usual."

"Do you always come home with detention?"

"Hell no. Sometimes I get in-school or just flat out suspension. Then of course there's the chew out I get in regards to behavior."

"Have you been expelled many times?"

"Is eight enough?" the blue-eyed blond asked in return.

"Quite, thank you." The man sighed. "What about extra curriculars?"

"Besides this?" She said. "Going back how far?"

"Five years should suffice." He said.

"Well, I got kicked out of gymnastics because I was too tall, and the Bennets couldn't find a dance teacher that they liked, so I tried cheerleading one year and soccer another. Both of those went down the drain." She said. "Then I wanted to take riding lessons, but that was too dangerous. Instead, I ended up in another gymnastics class. That lasted about four months."

"You seem very athletic to me." He said.

"Apparently grace and athleticism don't always mix." She said.

"I see." He said, writing down something on his ever-present notepad.

"Can I ask a question?" she said.

"Of course." He answered. "shoot."

"Why all of the small-talk?" she asked. "I don't like beating around the bush!"

"You didn't seem to like the direct approach either." He said. "Besides which, I think that you are one of those cases into which great efforts must be spent on trust before any ground is made."

"So I'm weird." She said. "Someone should get me a trophy."

"My turn." He said. "You were adopted, correct?"

"Yes."

"how old were you?"

"I don't know. I know that they lost track of me in Canada when I should have been six months old, so I guess it was then."

"Canada, you say?" Sigfreid blinked. "Where were you raised, child?"

"Texas." Atlantis replied. "It's the only mental image I can remember."

"Were your parents Canadian?"

"Dad is," she said "can't say for sure about my mother."

"What did your foster parents do for a living?"

"Usually nothing. His family's some well-to-do bunch of losers that I only saw on holidays. I think they may have run a chain of banks or investment firms or something."

"You weren't happy there, were you?"

"No."

"How long have you been friends with Bryan Dukes?"

"Gosh. Maybe seven or eight years. I know we met in daycare."

"What did you think of his family?"

"I wished I could have one like it." She said. "I mean, they didn't have a ton of money, and his parents weren't around, but Daisy Mae took good care of him and Freddy. They were loved by someone."

"I take it that your foster family did not hold you in high regard?" he asked.

"At first, maybe they did." She said. "I was too little to remember. But as I got older, I dunno, they just stopped caring. They had their own son a few years after I was adopted, so I got shoved into the back of their minds. By the time I left, there was talk of sending me away to live at some boarding school. It was like I was some defective piece of equipment that you return to sender."

"I heard that you joined the circus." He said. "Was it exciting? Did you make any new friends?"

"We met Mitch." She shrugged, then got a wistful look in her eyes. "I loved it there. I could be myself and not worry about what anyone thought but the ringmasters thought. I could use what few talents I had to make a living, and it didn't involve walking the streets at night."

"You were a prostitute?" Sigfreid blinked.

"Oh! No, no, no!" Andi protested. "I never got that desperate, but I might have ended up there if we hadn't gotten this job."

"That's a great jump in type of work."

"Look, dude. I am an underage mutant with a short fuse, little prior job experience, and a lot of issues. You gotta do what you gotta do."

"I did not realize that that was such a common field."

"You better start." She said. "There are a lot of others who aren't as lucky as we were to find work with a boss who listens."

"You certainly are much deeper than I thought." He said. "And time has flown by us today."

"So, I'm done already?" She asked.

"I want to see you again on Thursday," he said "but yes, you may go."

"Thank you." She said before walking out. Not long after she left, Zartan entered.

"Please tell me she didn't bite any more heads off." Zartan groaned.

"Actually, she seemed quite a bit more relaxed." Sigfreid said. "Almost too relaxed. Has she been on medication?"

"We haven't even given her any yet." Zartan said. "Although she is supposed to be."

"Strange." Sigfreid commented. "It was almost like she was a different person today."

"She mentioned something about voices in her mind when she first came to." Zartan said. "Could that have something to do with it?"

"I can't be sure." The shrink shook his head. "I would have to have some more meetings with her."

"I see." The spy said. "And what of the others?"

"They're taking it as well as can be expected." Sigfreid replied. "Although I think that Miss Mortisson needs a few years of therapy to resolve some older issues."

"Oh joy unbounded." Zartan quipped. "Anything else?"

"Just keep an eye on them." Sigfreid said. "They may start spiraling downward after this sets into their minds."

"Fine." Zartan said. "If there's nothing more here, I'm leaving."

"One more thing.!" Sigfreid said. "The Dreadnoks need to come in for their evaluations some time this week."

"I was hoping you would forget." Zartan groaned.

"I was too, but it still has to be done." Sigfreid laughed.


	39. Thankful

**Disclaimer: Thanksgiving. A time of food, family, footballs, and fist-fights.**

**Dedication: My constant reviewers. Both of you have given me some fine suggestions, even without knowing it.**

**Author's Note: Fun with take-out, remote wars, and other stuff. Just read, and you'll probably get it.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter thirty-nine: **Thankful**

Thanksgiving brought a strange quiet upon the Dreadnok's base. Andi, Kris, and Regan were visiting family, so that left the three boys on their own. Even though Neal didn't celebrate Thanksgiving in his native country, he couldn't get a flight home, and so was stuck.

"This is all very strange." Neal commented as he watched Monkeywrench and Zandar fumble with some decoration. "We do not do such things at fall harvest in our country."

"It's not just the harvest." Bryan said. "This all started almost three hundred years ago when the pilgrims thanked the Native Americans for helping them reap a bountiful harvest."

"Why were they thankful?" Neal asked.

"Well, they landed at the start of winter." Mitch said. "Half of the original hundred passengers died of either starvation or disease."

"Because the Native Americans helped them to plant a harvest, and the harvest was pleantiful, the colonists held a three-day feast to give thanks for the food and friends." Zanya said.

"I thought you didn't like the holiday." Bryan raised an eyebrow.

"I don't." She said. "I'm not complaining about the day off, though."

"Ah." The oldest boy nodded.

"Is something burning?" Mitch asked.

"Not the turkey!!!" Torch shouted in the kitchen.

"I'd say so." Ry nodded. "Looks like we're having take- out this year.

"It's a good thing we had a backup plan." Zandar said as more commotion was heard from the other room. "We hid another bird in the deep freezer."

"Genius!" Mitch shouted.

"Remember, one hour per four pounds of bird." Ry added. "Gram-Gram taught me that."

"I'll keep that in mind." Zandar said as he walked into the kitchen. "What the hell is going on in here?"

"Don't shoot me!" Torch threw his hands in front of his face.

"He singed it to teeny- weeny bits." Zarana groaned.

"What about the backup bird."

"It will take at least three hours to thaw that thing!" Zarana snapped. "Why don't you just go order some chinese food or something. We can substitute duck for turkey."

"Did I just hear something about ducks?" Zartan asked as he walked in.

"He burnt the turkey." The female Dreadnok said as she pointed at Torch.

"Go figure." Zartan said. "I knew we should have thawed the other turkey last night."

"Looks like we're taking a vote." Zandar sighed. "Who is going to ask the boys?"

"Hell no." Zarana said. "I am not going in there!"

"You're just trying to avoid Road Pig." Zandar snickered.

"Try getting that garland out from where the sun don't shine." Zarana shouted.

"Will the both of you calm down?" Zartan said. "If it is bugging you so much, then I'll do it!"

Twenty minutes later, the group was eating pizza.

"I think this qualifies as a freaky thanksgiving." Mitch said as he surveyed the bikers fighting over the remote. "And I used to live on the strip in Vegas."

"Why do you not want to watch the game anyway?" Bryan asked. "I thought everybody did that?"

"Not them." Zanya said. "Road Pig wants to watch PBS."

"Normally, I would agree," Mitch said "But it's turkey day! You're supposed to watch the game!"

"Why do they tackle each other?" Neal asked.

"We need to teach you about culture, dude." Torch said.

"Can we start tomorrow?" Ry asked.

"No more footballs through the Henson's window." Zarana said. "They'll sue us if anything else happens."

"Okay." Ry replied slowly. "We'll try to be good."

"Not too good." Zartan said. "I don't want you going all goodie-goodie and joining the Joes."

"And risk what they'd do to us?" Ry said. "Are you crazy."

"We won't go anywhere just yet." Mitch said. "At least not until Ann gets some issues settled."

"That may take a year." Zandar quipped.

"Or three." Monkeywrench chuckled.

"I wanna watch Nature!" Road Pig shouted.

"Leave the girl alone." Zartan admonished.

"But the boss said that if she can't bounce back in a month, she's getting the can." Ripper said.

"Is that true?" Mitch asked.

"Put it back!" Torch shouted.

"Make me!" Road Pig yelled.

"It wasn't worded exactly like that." Zartan said. "He wants all of you past the evaluation and on to field training in a month."

"Same difference." Zanya scoffed.

"Don't doubt her." Bryan said. "She can get herself back."

"We'll see about that." Zanya said.

"I think she will be fine." Neal said. "She seems very strong."

"Put it back on the game!" Torch shouted.

"This is more enlightening." Donald replied.

"I vote we dump this conversation and watch the WWF smackdown in the floor." Mitch raised a hand.

"Motion passed." Bryan said. "They sure are going at it."

"Indeed." Zartan hung his head.

"Put me down for five on Torch." Zandar said.


	40. Life's a dance

**Disclaimer: Failures are flyers who touch down. Only they know what it's like to leave the ground.**

**Author's note:** **Since I must end this, I may as well do so on an even number. In changing perspective, General Hawk finds out just who Cobra's new team used to work for. I almost feel sorry for Fury… Almost.**

**Second Chances**

Chapter Forty: **Life's a Dance**

General Hawk looked up over the file he was reading at the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mutant division, Nick Fury, and sent the man a look of disgust. General Flagg, Duke, Fury, and himself were all in his office discussing the new information about Cobra's new recruits.

"How convenient that you just happen to be the only one with a file on these kids besides Cobra." General Hawk said.

"I didn't feel the need to worry." Fury said. "I thought that they were just crazy kids."

"Crazy kids with an agenda." Flagg shouted. "They killed one man and nearly shot two of G.I. Joe's best operatives! How can you make yourself remotely believe that they are not important???"

"Hear me out." Fury said.

"What?" Duke said. "Got some new cover-up story to share?"

"Just let me explain." Fury said.

"Fine." Hawk said. "But any bs and you will find yourself in deep trouble."

Fury nodded and began to speak. "I stumbled on the group when they took a job with a friend of the agency. When I found out that some of their relatives were known terrorists and mercenaries, I took the opportunity to recruit them because I felt that they would make good informants."

"But they wouldn't talk." Hawk said.

"Not just that." Fury said. "They set a man's pants on fire, painted our exercise room lime green, and destroyed nearly two-hundred thousand dollars worth of equipment because they were bored! I thought some harder instructors would make them behave, so I handed them over to our worst! You know what they did? They laughed!"

"Sounds like those triplets of Shipwreck's." Duke commented.

"Of course, Then Auntie called asking for extra help in one of their missions." Fury said. "Since STRIKE didn't have enough manpower, and the kids needed more experience, I sent them there."

"You allowed them to work with them unaided?" Flagg asked. "Have you lost it?"

"I thought that Burke could handle them." Fury said. "But the ring leader, Atlantis, she shot at him. Missed, but scared one of the others, who fired his weapon and hit a gas tank. Blew the warehouse to kingdom come."

"And so you fired them." Duke started.

"And they answered the call of Cobra." Hawk finished. "Listen, Fury, we know that at least two of those kids are mutants."

"At least!" Fury scoffed. "Try all six!"

"Six?" Duke said. "We only saw two."

"The others were probably waiting in the wings." Fury said. "If Creed wasn't the one doing the shooting, she was running the controls."

"Creed?" Flagg asked. "Who the hell is Creed?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Fury said. "You would probably know her as Atlantis."

"The one with the gun." Duke exclaimed. "She shot Harding!"

"So you knew that these kids had killer instinct and you just let them go?" Flagg said.

"I didn't see the danger." Fury said. "Believe me, if I had even considered the possibility that they could get drafted by Cobra, I would have kept an eye on them."

"And your oversight has cost us all dearly." Flagg said.

"Why are their files under level four security?" Duke asked.

"Atlantis's father is a mutant mercenary and terrorist directly linked to the Weapon X projects." Fury said. "And two of the boys have many relatives with outstanding warrants. These aren't junior-high kids with no place to go; they mean business!"

"Then give us all of your information." Hawk said.

"I can't do that." Fury growled.

"You can and will if you want to keep your agency's record intact." Flagg snarled. "All files on the team to be ready on Monday. Got it?"

"Yes, Generals." Fury said grudgingly. "I'll have them ready."

"Good." Hawk said. "THe last thing we need is for Cobra to have a trained team of mutant assassins who are willing to do anything to get rid of us."

"Amen." Duke said.

**That's all! The characters I own are as follows...**

**Atlantis**

**Chaos**

**Golem**

**Dr. Lane**

**Sigfreid the psychologist**

**and Vampira. **

**Hope you enjoyed the ride! Tune in for the next installment in this series.**


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